iN TRAFFIC: Extreme cold warning for most of Southern Interior
Dec. 21 is going to be another cold day for anyone in Kamloops or the Okanagan.
Extreme cold warnings are in effect for the North Okanagan, Central Okanagan, North Thompson, South Thompson, as well as the Shuswap and Boundary regions, according to Environment Canada. Temperatures are expected to dip as low as -40 Celsius with windchill.
“A very cold arctic air mass has settled over the region,” the warnings read.
Temperatures are expected to gradually rise tomorrow, Dec. 22 and Friday, Dec. 23.
Without the windchill, temperatures in Kamloops are going to range between -21 C and -24 C; Vernon and Kelowna are in for a high of -21 C and low of -26 C; and Penticton will be between -17 C and -19 C.
Anybody who has to drive today can expect their trip to take longer than usual.
DriveB.C. is reporting Highway 1 has slippery sections between Cache Creek and Golden; Highway 5 has slippery sections between Merritt and Kamloops, and compact snow between the Great Bear Snowshed and Merritt; Highway 12 has slippery sections throughout; Highway 97 has compact snow between the Pennask Summit and Merritt.
Anita Reles commutes from Summerland to Penticton via Highway 97. She said Summerland and Penticton are icy this morning, though all the streets appear to be plowed
“However, it's a freaking skating rink, and you may as well don your skates, it's awful,” Reles said. "Sheer ice. No evidence anywhere of any sanding, both sides very icy and you can see the heavy shine from the ice in the pics.”
Charles Andrews commutes from Armstrong to Sicamous via Highway 97A. The roads this morning were mostly bare with some compact snow and ice, he reported.
“Blowing snow on the road along Mara Lake,” Andrews said.
For those tough enough to bear the extreme cold at the ski hills, Big White Ski Resort is reporting 6 centimetres of new snow in the past 24 hours and 26 in the last week. Sun Peaks Ski Resort got 1 cm in the past two days and 2 cm in the past week. SilverStar Mountain Resort has gotten 23 cm in the past week and another 7 cm is expected today. And Apex Mountain Resort is reporting 14 cm of new snow and 19 in the past two days.
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