Highway 5, 61 kilometres south of Merritt, looking south (Image credit: DriveBC).

By Aaron Schulze

GENERAL WINTER UPDATE

Extreme cold warning over in Kamloops, but weekend weather to challenge regional travel

Dec 23, 2022 | 5:43 AM

UPDATE (8:20 a.m.): DriveBC estimates the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt will reopen at 9:30 a.m.

Crews are scraping ice at the closure site southbound at Shylock north of Hope.

The extreme cold warning has also been rescinded for 100 Mile.

EARLIER: KAMLOOPS — The extreme cold warning lingering over Kamloops is over.

Environment Canada ended its extreme cold warning for the South Thompson at around 4:30 a.m. Friday (Dec. 23). Although similar alerts remain in effect for the 100 Mile, Cariboo, Nicola, North Thompson, and Shuswap regions.

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

7h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: North Shore BIA working hard to develop a 'happening place'

13h ago

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Moons

Dec 10, 2024

Coquihalla closure

The southbound lanes of the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt are closed.

DriveBC first reported of multiple vehicle incidents closing the stretch of Highway 5 at around 3:40 a.m. Friday.

Detours are available via Highway 1 and Highway 3. DriveBC also says Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge is only open to local traffic.

Another update is due at 8 a.m.

Highway travel

Additionally, highway travel is expected to be a challenge from Friday until Sunday (Dec. 25). In a news release Thursday (Dec. 22) afternoon, B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation discouraged travel in the southern Interior due to Environment Canada forecasting of snow and a risk of freezing rain.

“Maintenance contractors will be working 24/7 throughout this storm cycle and will adjust operations as the system warms from snow to freezing rain,” the province states. “However, challenging winter driving conditions are expected to persist, even with ongoing plowing, sanding, and salting activities. The ministry may proactively close highways in the interest of safety.”

Residents who choose to travel should prepare for the weather and potential short-notice closures, ensure their vehicles are fuelled up and charged, and have extra water, food, and necessary medications.

Air travel

Those hoping to depart Kamloops via air before Christmas weekend should check their airline flight status.

As of Friday morning, Kamloops Airport’s online flight status shows three cancelled flights to Vancouver: Air Canada at 10:20 a.m., WestJet at 12:45 p.m., and Air Canada at 3 p.m.

Three arrivals from Vancouver are also cancelled: Air Canada at 9:45 a.m., WestJet at 12:15 p.m., and Air Canada 2:20 p.m.

No flights between Kamloops and Calgary have been impacted as of Friday morning.