Flights cancelled, roads covered in ice and snow: Southern Interior travellers stymied by storm

Whether you were planning to travel to or from the Southern Interior on Tuesday by plane or automobile, it may be time to come up with other ideas.

Snow has grounded most flights Tuesday morning in and out of Vancouver, Victoria and, in turn, Kelowna, and it is continuing to fall on significant B.C. travel routes, including the Coquihalla, Highway 3 and the Fraser Canyon, Environment Canada warns.

1:32 Snowfall causes chaos along Okanagan Connector

“A low-pressure system will move through Washington state today,” Environment Canada warned on Tuesday.

“The associated front will brush the very southern part of British Columbia giving a round of snow this morning through late this afternoon.”

When it comes to roads, snow accumulations of an additional 10 to 15 centimetres are expected in the Fraser Canyon and south including Lytton, the Similkameen, the South Okanagan and the Coquihalla Highway, from Hope to Merritt.

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There was a travel advisory issued for the Coquihalla and the Okanagan Connector due to snowfall and winds.

On Highway 3, from Hope to Princeton via Allison Pass, nearly 20 cm of snow is in the forecast.

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1:11 Passengers stuck on tarmac at YVR due to weather delays

While these travel routes are coming with a warning, air travel has been grounded in much of B.C. due to nearly 25 cm of snow in parts of metro Vancouver.

A statement from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) said passengers who are expecting to fly Tuesday and this week are advised to check with their airline directly on the status of their flight.

“We are asking people to please not come to YVR if you do not absolutely need to,” airport spokeswoman Megan Sutton said in an emailed statement.

2:23 Widespread flight cancelations and delays at Kelowna airport

That had an obvious effect on travel out of Kelowna International Airport, where at least a dozen incoming flights were cancelled Tuesday morning and all flights into the Lower Mainland were also cancelled. Weather at the airport was causing issues as well.

2:09 Heavy snow on B.C.’s South Coast wreaks havoc on roads, transit and schools

“Our team is working hard to get passengers on their way,” say Sam Samaddar, Airport Director. “We know these delays can be frustrating, especially during the holiday season, and we thank travellers for their patience.”

As with any adverse weather situation, travellers are reminded to check in with their airline for the most up to date flight information before coming to the airport. Guests picking up passengers from YLW can monitor flight times at ylw.kelowna.ca