Summer snow forecasted for B.C. Interior highways

Vehicles drive along the Coquihalla Highway, January 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Friday may be the first day of summer, but there is snow in the forecast for some highways in B.C.’s Interior.

Environment Canada says wet snow is possible at higher elevations on the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt, the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton and from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass.

Up to four centimetres is predicted to accumulate between Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

“Because of the convective nature of the system, snow levels may temporarily lower to 1,200 (to) 1,600 metres as intense bands of precipitation move through,” reads a special weather statement. “Snowfall accumulations will be highly variable depending on elevation. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.”

Along with the forecasted snow, Environment Canada is warning of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain Friday and Saturday in a large section of the interior.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for the Okanagan, the Fraser Canyon, Shuswap, Boundary, Nicola, Similkameen and Yoho and Kootenay parks.

“Don’t drive through flooded roadways. Heavy rain can cause flash flooding and significant reductions to visibility,” the alert reads.

The agency predicts up to 40 millimetres of rain by Saturday afternoon in the affected regions.