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2mo ago

B.C. Frontal System Delivers Heavy Snow, Powerful Winds and Record Warmth

Environment Canada keeps snowfall and wind warnings active on major mountain passes.

Drivers are being urged to use caution when travelling on the Coquihalla Highway starting Wednesday night into Friday morning.
Vehicles drive along the Coquihalla Highway in B.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Overview

  • Wind gusts peaked at 98 km/h in Hope, 94 km/h in Lytton and 85 km/h at Smithers Airport as the system swept across the province.
  • Rodgers Pass recorded 38 cm of snow on Thursday, with up to 15 cm more expected before conditions ease Friday night.
  • Snowfall warnings remain in effect for the Yellowhead Highway to the Alberta boundary and the Kinbasket area, with 5 to 15 cm and reduced visibility forecast by late Friday.
  • The Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt remains under a snowfall warning, with a revised total of up to 30 cm after earlier estimates reached 60 cm.
  • Wind and snowfall advisories span Fraser Canyon, Chilcotin, Lakes District, Stuart–Nechako, Highway 1 from Sicamous to Golden, and North Coast communities, with a snow squall warning continuing in the southern Peace.