From mountain tops to valley bottoms snow is expected to fall heavily across the B.C. Southern Interior, possibly wreaking havoc on area roads.
“An intense Pacific frontal system is forecast to move into southwestern B.C. (Wednesday) evening,” Environment Canada said in its snowfall warning issued Wednesday morning.
“Snow, at times heavy, will begin this evening and continue into Thursday morning before easing off to flurries in the afternoon. Rapidly accumulating snow may affect the Thursday morning commute.
Areas affected in the warning include the whole Okanagan, Nicola, South Thompson, Shuswap, Similkameen, Fraser Canyon and Boundary.
Environment Canada also issued another warning about “hazardous conditions” that will take hold of a number of southern Interior highways.
Those highways included in the warning are the Coquihalla, from Hope to Merritt; the Okanagan Connector, from Merritt to Kelowna; the Coquihalla Highway, from Merritt to Kamloops; and Highway 3, from Hope to Princeton.
In addition to the heavy snow, there’s a risk of freezing rain to the southwest of Coquihalla Summit near Hope for Thursday afternoon.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” the national weather agency warns.
Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.