Cooler weather is headed to B.C.’s interior this weekend and that means mountain passes will likely get some snow.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Highway 3, the Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass, and the Okanagan Connector, from Merritt to Kelowna, noting that up to two centimetres of snow could fall from Thursday night into Friday.
“An upper trough over the B.C. Interior will bring cool and unsettled conditions tonight,” Environment Canada said in the warning.
“Snow levels will lower to near 1500 metres allowing the precipitation to fall as snow near Pennask Summit on Highway 97C and near Paulson Summit and Kootenay Pass on Highway 3.”
Snow levels will increase during the day on Friday.
Barring the Lower Mainland and southeastern Vancouver Island, winter tires or chains are required on most B.C. routes from Oct. 1 to April 30, though for some highways the requirement ends on March 31.
Routes where winter tires are required are marked with signs, with the province saying the rule will be enforced by police or other enforcement officials. It added that motorists who aren’t in compliance may be turned away and fined.
A legal winter tire is defined has having at least 3.5 mm of tread depth plus the letters M and S or a three-peak mountain/snowflake symbol.
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