iN TRAFFIC: Driving conditions improving on Thompson-Okanagan highways
With slightly warmer weather and less snow, the highways leading into Kamloops and the Okanagan are improving but drivers still need to take care.
A vehicle fire on the Coquihalla Highway about a kilometre south of the Surrey Lake Summit has the northbound, right lane closed until further notice.
According to DriveBC there are slippery sections on the Coquihalla Highway from 6 km south of the Great Bear Snowshed to 12 km north of the Coquihalla Summit.
On the Okanagan Connector, there are slippery sections between Merritt and the Pennask Summit and compact snow from there to West Kelowna.
There are a few foggy patches in some areas and some compact snow between Princeton and Hedley on Highway 3 along with slippery sections in the Sicamous area.
On Highway 97 there is some water pooling in the South Okanagan and some slippery sections from 13 km south of Coldstream to 17 km north of Vernon.
There are also slippery sections on the highway through to Monte Creek and on Highway 97A from Vernon to Sicamous.
The B.C. Travellers Forecast says there’s a 60% chance of snow flurries this morning on the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt and 40% from Merritt to Kamloops.
The only other regional highway with a mention of snow is Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass and that’s only at 30%.
The Environment Canada forecast high for Kamloops today is 4 Celsius with a mix of sun and cloud.
Kelowna and Vernon should be mainly cloudy with a high of 2 C.
Penticton is forecast to have a high of 3 C with a 30% chance of showers this morning.
Sun Peaks Ski Resort had 1 cm of new snow in the last 24 hours leaving the hill with an alpine base of 137 cm. It’s -5 C.
Silver Star Mountain Resort is -4 C, with 2 cm of new snow in the last 24 hours and an alpine base of 159 cm.
Big White Ski Resort had 10 cm of new snow in the last 24 hours, is -5 C and has an alpine base of 153 cm.
Apex Mountain Resort had 3 cm of new snow in the last 24 hours but has an alpine base of 168 cm and is -5 C.
— This story was updated at 1:51 p.m. Jan. 10, 2023, to include a vehicle fire on the Coquihalla.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
