Wintry conditions to hit Coquihalla, Trans-Canada highways

Higher elevation highways are expected to be hit by a blast of wintry weather Thursday, Environment Canada says.

A frontal system pushing across B.C will spread snow to the summit of the southern interior highways Thursday morning, triggering warnings for portions of the Coquihalla, Trans-Canada and Highway 3.

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The Coquihalla Highway, from Hope to Merritt, is forecast to get snow accumulations of 15 to 20 centimetres by Thursday morning. By evening, heavy rain is expected to replace snow.

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“A moist southwesterly flow is giving snow heavy at times this morning to most southern highway passes,” Environment Canada’s warning on Thursday reads.

Similar conditions are forecast for Highway 3, from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass, and the Trans-Canada Highway, from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass.

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“Rising freezing levels will result in the snow changing to rain over the Paulson Summit, Kootenay Pass near midday today,” reads the weather statement.

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“Intense rain over the Kootenay Pass will continue through Friday morning with amounts up to 40 millimetres expected.”

The freezing levels at the Rogers Pass will rise just above the summit level Thursday afternoon then lower to around 1,200 metres Thursday night.

While the change over to rain is still expected later Thursday, precipitation will quickly switch back to snow in the evening. A further 10 centimetres of snow is possible near the summit on Thursday night.