December 20, 2019 - 2:49 PM
VANCOUVER - A severe storm that has swept across much of southern British Columbia may be to blame for a highway death.
The BC Coroners Service says a woman in her late 30s died Thursday afternoon in a crash on Highway 3 near Trail.
Conditions were extreme at the time, with heavy snowfall, blowing snow and limited visibility.
That crash, and several others that were not fatal, forced closures on Highway 1, Highway 3 and the Coquihalla Highway Thursday and early Friday.
DriveBC, the province's online route-planning tool, says travel advisories or closures are still posted along sections of those routes and other highways through the southern Interior.
Environment Canada warns as much as a metre of snow could fall in some areas by late Saturday, with snowfall and winter storm warnings posted for most of southern and southeastern B.C., while rainfall warnings are issued for the Fraser and Elk Valleys.
Avalanche Canada also lists the avalanche risk as high on mountain ranges from the south coast and Sea-to-Sky east to the Alberta boundary.
"Intense loading from heavy snow and strong winds will mean that an avalanche cycle is almost certain," Avalanche Canada says on its website, describing the danger rating as high on mountain ranges across most of southeastern B.C.
"Avoid avalanche terrain, and don't underestimate the potential for avalanches to run full path," the website advises.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2019.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019