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January 12, 2016 - 7:00 AM
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - While temperatures continue to warm up in town, a system is expected to drop enough snow on area highways today to prompt a snowfall warning for at least one section of highway.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt, where up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected through tonight.
The warning comes as a Pacific frontal system moves through the region. Snow is already falling in some areas today, Jan. 12, and is expected to be heavy at times by this evening. The system is expected to have moved out of the region by Wednesday morning.
The weather office notes a 70 per cent chance of snow late this morning through tonight along the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Kamloops while there is a 70 per cent of snow on the Okanagan Connector this afternoon and periods of snow, 2 to 4 cm, are expected tonight. Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton is expected to see up to 14 cm by tomorrow morning while heavy snow, up to 15 cm, is expected tonight on Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass.
As the system moves through the region, Avalanche Canada is expecting the avalanche risk to increase to considerable at some elevations. West of us the risk has already increased to high on some elevations of the North Shore and Sea to Sky ranges, with the South Inland Coast expected to reach a high risk in the alpine level Wednesday.
In town, temperatures are expected to be near 0 Celsius throughout the region with at least a chance of snow or rain today. Wednesday temperatures will reach as high as 5 C in the Penticton area and will cool down as you head north to Kamloops, where a high of 2 C is expected. Wednesday will also bring at least a chance of snow or rain.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016