Coquihalla Highway south of Kamloops, Oct. 24 (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

WINTER ARRIVES

Kamloops area’s early taste of winter not expected to stick around

Oct 24, 2023 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The first real snowfall of the season hit Interior highways on Monday (Oct. 23), with travel advisories put in place for the entire Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Kamloops and the Okanagan connector between Merritt and Kelowna.

Environment Canada is forecasting a shift in what was a relatively mild fall, with overnight lows expected to dip into minus range for the first time this week. While a dusting of snow may have taken some by surprise in late October, Environment Canada is expecting things to stabilize by the weekend.

“We are forecasting that the snow we are seeing [Tuesday] morning to kind of continue through today and into tonight. About 5-to-15 centimetres is possible, depending on the route,” said meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau. “It does look like we are going dry out as we head into tomorrow and for the next few days, but things are remaining cold. Definitely this isn’t a permanent shift into winter, but a good reminder that here in October, in the shoulder season, but we do need to have those snow tires on the routes.”

Overall, this winter is forecasted to be an ‘el Niño.’ Charbonneau states that usually means the region could experience a dryer winter than what has been seen in the past few years.

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“In the long range, our fall outlook has been shifting but we have been seeing a consistent warmer-than-normal signal for the season as a whole, although that really averages out all of those fine variations in the weather. But, we are forecasting an el Niño winter, which often brings milder conditions, particularly for the winter into springs — so kind of after Christmas. A lot of indications that we might see some warmer-than-usual conditions through the next couple of seasons,” said Charbonneau.