Okanagan blanketed in snow; flights delayed, clearing efforts underway

Snow has blanketed much of B.C., and in the Southern Interior that means cancelled flights to and from Vancouver, slower driving conditions and warnings to be careful at home and outside.

Kelowna International Airport was reporting cancellations of morning flights in and out of Vancouver and Victoria for Air Canada and WestJet. Afternoon flights were still on the schedule, though that could change. People who had trips booked are being reminded to check the status of their flights.

As expected, highways were particularly laden with snow. DriveBC reported travel advisories in place for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Kamloops, Highway 97C between Merritt and West Kelowna, Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton, and Highway 1 between Hope and Lytton.

Highway and municipal crews throughout the region were already out plowing Wednesday morning with the expectation that 10 to 15 centimetres of snow would fall by the day’s end and it may be “tricky” getting conditions cleared.

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In Penticton, the city sent out a notice reminding area residents that due to cold ground temperatures, salt hasn’t been effective in melting the compacted snow that remains on many roads throughout the city.

Crews have been laying sand for traction, but with heavy snowfall expected overnight, road conditions are expected to deteriorate.

“We will be facing some tricky snow-clearing conditions over the next few days,” Scott Boyko, public works manager, said in a press release.

“Our crews will be out in full force, but with these sub-zero temperatures since the last storm preventing any melt, combined with the current ground conditions, there will definitely be challenges ahead.”

In Kelowna, over the last three days, crews have resupplied their sand shed and pre-treated their roads in anticipation.

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“Residents are asked to be patient as crews will be focusing on clearing roadways and laying sand on priority one and two routes before attending to local roads in neighbourhoods,” roadways operations manager Andrew Schwerdtfeger said.

“Residents not living on a snow route are still encouraged to move their vehicles off the road to help plows clear the snow from curb to curb safely and quickly.”

The city clears snow and de-ices municipal roads based on their priority status. Priority 1 includes high-traffic roads such as Gordon Drive. Priority 2 includes collector roads such as Richter Street, bus routes, school zones and emergency vehicle stations. Priority 3 and 4 roads include residential roadways.

A snow event advisory has been issued and a temporary parking ban is now in effect for snow routes located in Academy Way, Black Mountain, Clifton/Magic Estates/Wilden, Dilworth Mountain, Kirschner Mountain, McKinley Beach, Quail Ridge and areas in the South Mission, including The Ponds. Residents parked on the street will have over 24 hours to find alternative off-street parking before enforcement commences.

Throughout the Okanagan, highways are maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, including Highway 97 (Harvey Avenue) and Highway 33.

While roads are a major focus during any snowfall, FortisBC is reminding its Okanagan customers that there is more at play.

“Snow can bring down power lines, bury gas meters or cause outages. Icy roads can send vehicles into power poles,” the utility said in a press release.

Area residents are being reminded to prepare an emergency kit with enough supplies to keep their household warm and nourished for at least 72 hours and store it in a location that can be easily found in the dark.

“Carefully remove built-up snow from gas and electric meters by hand, ensuring the regulator and shut-off valve on the gas meter are clear,” Fortis said.

“Never kick or hit a meter to break ice or snow build-up. If ice builds up on a meter or regulator, call FortisBC to remove the ice.”

It’s already been a taxing week for the utility.

FortisBC’s electricity system reached a peak hour delivery on Jan. 13 of 818 megawatts — close to but still below the record set when it delivered 835 megawatts (MW) during the cold snap on Dec. 22, 2022.

In the Interior, the gas system delivered the equivalent peak demand of about 5,890 megawatt hours on Jan. 12, which is still below the record set last winter, when it delivered 7,140 megawatt-hours during the cold snap on Dec. 22, 2022.

FortisBC’s gas system set a new record during the cold snap on Jan. 12, with peak hour system-wide (all of B.C.) delivery at approximately 21,763 megawatts. FortisBC said this is nearly 400 megawatts (or 1.8 per cent) more than Dec. 22, 2022, a day the province experienced similar temperatures and hit its previous record for peak demand on its gas system.

For context, the utility’s gas system delivered double the energy BC Hydro did on Friday, Jan. 12, when the province was at its coldest, with BC Hydro delivering 11,300 megawatts compared with FortisBC’s gas system delivering 21,763 megawatts at the highest point of demand.

If you see an electricity hazard such as a downed power line, Fortis said to stay back at least 10 metres and call its 24-hour emergency support number at 1-866-436-7847 or dial 911 immediately.

If customers have questions or see damaged FortisBC lines or meters, they can contact Fortis 24 hours a day at 1-800-663-9911 for gas emergencies, 1-866-436-7847 or 911 for help.