By Jessica Lepp

Kamloops blanketed in snow

Nov 15, 2015 | 7:43 PM

An Environment Canada Snowfall Waring was in place for the South Thompson Region Saturday and Sunday. A low pressure system moved across the Southern Interior bringing snow of up to 15 centimetres at higher terrain near Kamloops. The valley bottom received about 5 centimetres. Overnight the Coquihalla Highway and the Okanagan Connector saw about 20 centimetres of fresh now.

The City of Kamloops’ snow removal team was out in full force. Streets and Environmental Service Manager Glen Farrow says his staff hit the roads late Saturday night and continued to work on arterial roads on Sunday. He says his crew is fully staffed as Kamloops typically see’s it’s first real snowfall every November. Farrow reminds motorists to drive to conditions and take caution when maneuvering around snowplows. As far as the City’s snow removal budget, Farrow says last Winter was a light year other than one major event in January. The City exceeded it’s External Contractual budget due to snow removal following January’s record snowfall in the downtown core however Farrow says leading up to December the City still has 30% of it’s budget available. 

It was also a busy night for Kamloops Fire Rescue Saturday, who responded to eight motor vehicle incidents after 6pm. KFR Platoon Captain Steve Kilmartin confirms there was a single vehicle rollover near Lac Le Jeune and while three patients were take to Royal Inland Hospital the injuries were not considered life threatening. Kilmartin says the other incidents were single motor vehicle accidents due to slippery road conditions. He says patients were taken to hospital but again, for only minor injuries. Kilmartin says the snowfall is a reminder for motorists to drive accordingly. KFR also responded to a snowplow that caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames shortly after 7am Sunday morning near Copperhead Drive and Saskatoon Place.