Watch for slippery sections on Thompson-Okanagan highways
With temperatures dropping below freezing this morning, Jan. 3, there’s always the risk of slushy and slippery sections on Thompson Okanagan highways.
Drive B.C. has issued a travel advisory because of slushy and slippery sections on Highway 1 from 17 km east of Cache Creek to Spences Bridge.
It also advises travellers to watch for water pooling on the Coquihalla Highway from 10 km south of the Great Bear Snowshed to 29 km south of Merritt.
There are slippery sections between West Kelowna and the Pennask Summit on the Okanagan Connector.
Highway 5 was closed in both directions south of Barriere at Clough Road due to a vehicle incident. The highway has since reopened.
Highway 97 has black ice from 13 km south of Coldstream to 17 km north of Vernon and from 26 km south of Enderby to 5 km south of Sicamous.
Highway 3 has slushy and slippery sections from 32 km west of Princeton to Hedley.
The B.C. Traveller’s Forecast says the entire Coquihalla Highway should see a mix of sun and cloud today with some fog patches clearing by noon along the Hope to Merritt stretch.
The Okanagan Connector, Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton and Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass will be mainly cloudy.
But no precipitation is forecast for any of those routes.
Kamloops residents can look for a high of -1 Celsius today, dropping to -6 C overnight. Today should have a mix of sun and cloud.
Kelowna and Vernon should be mainly cloudy with a high of 0 C and an overnight low of -6 C.
Penticton, also, can expect a high of 0 C today but an overnight low of only -3 C and mainly cloudy.
Sun Peaks Ski Resort has not had any snow in the last 48 hours, has an alpine base of 131 cm and a temperature of -10 C.
Silver Star Mountain Resort is also at -10 C this morning with no new snow in the last 48 hours and has an alpine base of 152 cm.
Big White Ski Resort had no new snow in the last 24 hours, has an alpine base of 140 cm and a temperature of -8 C.
Apex Mountain Resort also had no snow in the last 48 hours, has an alpine base of 164 cm and is -12 C.
— This story was updated at 11:25 a.m. Jan. 3, 2023, to say Highway 5 was reopened near Barriere.
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.
