
Plow truck on a Kamloops-area highway/via Yellowhead Road and Bridge Nicola
With Environment Canada now warning of as much as 20 centimeters of snow for many parts of the Southern Interior, the folks who maintain the Coquihalla Highway are also out with their own note of caution.
“Heavy snowfall is expected to hit the Nicola Service Area starting Tuesday evening and continue through the day Wednesday,” said Yellowhead Road and Bridge Nicola in a release. “All areas, including valley bottoms, will see significant accumulations.”
Much like similar warnings issued from the weather office, Yellowhead Road and Bridge Nicola is cautioning drivers to be on alert if they need to take the Coquihalla and other major routes in the coming day or so.
“Our high elevation routes on Highway 5 and Highway 97C are expected to see the highest accumulations overnight and throughout the day on Wednesday before breaking up to lighter snow showers around 5pm,” said YBR Nicola. “Cold temperatures and strong winds mean that low visibility is going to be a concern when travelling through the corridor.”
- Highway 5 South from Merritt to the Snow Shed Hill – 6-12cm Tuesday night and 10-15cm on Wednesday
- Highway 97C – Okanagan Connector – 5-10cm on Tuesday night and 6-12cm on Wednesday
- Highway 5 North from Merritt to Lac Le Jeune – 6-12cm on Tuesday night and 5-10cm on Wednesday
- Highway 1 – Fraser Canyon – 4-8cm on Monday night and 6-12cm on Tuesday
“Please slow down and drive to conditions this evening,” said YRB Nicola. “Plow trucks will be out removing snow and restoring traction as well as putting out chemicals to help prevent icy conditions. When flashing lights are on, our trucks are in ‘Winter Work Mode’ and require extra room to perform their necessary duties. Remember to never pass a plow truck on the right and road conditions in front of the plow truck will be worse than behind it.”
The warning comes as Environment Canada has similar heavy snowfall warnings for most of the major routes heading through Kamloops, including the Begbie Summit from Clinton to 100 Mile House, the Yellowhead Highway from Tete Jeune Cache to the Alberta border and Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass through the Rockies.