iN TRAFFIC: Temperatures in the Interior dipping below freezing again today
Colder weather may impact driving conditions in the Interior today, Jan. 20.
A semi is stalled on a sharp corner where there is dense fog on Highway 97 near Sicamous, according to DriveB.C. It's located 15 to 14 kilometres south of the District between Davy Road and Hamilton Road.
Highway 5 has reopened to single-lane alternating traffic in Clearwater between Candle Creek Road and Raft River Road following a vehicle fire. Watch for traffic control.
Drive B.C. is also reporting Highway 1 is slushy with slippery sections between Sicamous and Revelstoke and drivers are advised to watch out for falling rocks between Jackass Mountain Summit and Spences Bridge; Highway 5 has compact snow between the Coquihalla Summit and Merritt; Highway 6EW has compact snow from Cherryville to Needles; on Highway 97, one lane of northbound traffic between Oliver and Okanagan will be closed until 4 p.m. for maintenance; Highway 97C has compact snow between West Kelowna and Merritt; and Highway 97D has compact snow throughout.
Charles Andrews is a commuter who travels from Armstrong to Sicamous via Highway 97A. He reports the road is slippery this morning, and that an accident was being cleared up near Armstrong around 6 a.m.
“Emergency crews were on scene and traffic was getting through,” he said. “That was between Rosedale and Smith Road in the south bound lanes.”
Green Lake Road is blocked in both directions near Okanagan Falls due to a rockslide, according to a Facebook post by AIM Roads. The slide happened located approximately 150 metres south of Highway 97.
"The road is fully blocked and we are unable to provide an approximate reopening time," the post reads. "Geotechnical assessment will take place as soon as possible."
After a break from freezing temperatures, the negatives are in the forecast again, according to Environment Canada. In Kamloops there will be a high of 3 Celsius and a low of -2 C. Vernon and Kelowna will both get a high of 3 C and low of -3 C. And in Penticton temperatures reach a high of 5 C today and drop to -1 C by 9 p.m.
At the ski hills, Big White Mountain Resort is reporting 8 centimetres of fresh snow and 63 cm over the past week. There’s been 4 cm of snow at Sun Peaks Ski Resort and 5 cm over the 48 hours where there is an alpine base of 147 cm. The last significant snowfall at SilverStar Mountain Resort was 5 cm on Dec. 30, and the alpine snow base is 171 cm. And Apex Mountain Resort is reporting 3 cm of snow over the past 48 hours and 22 cm over the past week.
— Story updated at 7:37 a.m. with information about the vehicle fire on Highway 5.
— Story updated at 8:57 a.m. with information about the stalled semi on Highway 97.
— Story updated at 9:08 a.m. with information about the rockslide on Green Lake Road.
— This story was updated at 9:47 a.m. to say Highway 5 in Clearwater had reopened to single-lane alternating traffic.
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