The two incidents on the Coquihalla have been resolved and the southbound lane is open again, ahead of schedule.
ORIGINAL
Snow, as predicted, is falling on mountain passes in the Southern Interior.
Road conditions may have been affected by the wintry weather, and there have been two crashes already closing portions of the Coquihalla .
Drive BC is reporting two southbound closures on Highway 5, between Merritt and Hope.
The first closure is at exit 276, Comstock because of a vehicle incident. The second closure is at Exit 250, Larson Hill, because of a vehicle incident.
Cleanup for both is expected at 9 a.m.
An arctic front is expected to roll across the southwest Interior today, according to a weather alert issued by Environment Canada.
RELATED: WINTER HAS ARRIVED
Heavy snow will occur across the southern interior highway passes today due to the combination of moisture from a coastal low and the passage of an arctic front. Total snowfall accumulations of 20 to 30 cm are expected before the snow tapers off tonight.
Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult. Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays.
Closer to lake level, conditions will vary.
“For most communities in the southwest Interior valleys, there is significant uncertainty with the precipitation type, whether rain or snow will fall,” reads the statement.
“Kamloops, Salmon Arm, and the north Okanagan will see precipitation phase changes as the Arctic front moves across the region southwards.”
Environment Canada reccomends closely monitoring Environment and Climate Change Canada for the latest updated forecasts. To report severe weather, send an email to ec.tempetepacifique-pacificstorm.ec@canada.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.
