The Coquihalla Highway about 61 km south of Merritt, looking north. (Image Credit: DriveBC)

By Victor Kaisar

Rainfall Warnings

Rainfall warnings extended to Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt, Fraser Canyon

Mar 19, 2026 | 11:30 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — Environment Canada has issued a yellow-level rainfall warning for a pair of major thoroughfares in the B.C. interior.

The warnings now cover the the Hope to Merritt section of the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton via the Allison Pass. A rainfall warning has also been expanded to include the Lytton area in the Fraser Canyon.

The weather office says between 50 and 80 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on the Coquihalla Thursday (March 19) until early Friday morning. It’s also expecting nearly 50 millimetres of rain to fall in the Fraser Canyon south of Boston Bar, as well as the Manning – Skagit Valley, and along Highway 3 between Hope to Manning Park.

“An atmospheric river will remain over southern B.C. today through Friday [and] the heaviest rainfall is forecast to begin overnight tonight and continue through Friday midday,” the warning said. “With freezing levels ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 metres, snowmelt from higher elevations may increase the impacts associated with this rainfall event.”

“Rain will taper to a few showers Friday afternoon and freezing levels will drop as the cold front passes. Strong southwesterly winds with gusts up to 50 to 70 km/h will develop late Friday morning and persist through Friday evening.”

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Rainfall warnings are also in effect for the Trans-Canada Highway from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass, as well as for a number of areas in the Kootenays.

Environment Canada says there is the possibility of water pooling on roads and in low-lying areas. They’re warning of possible travel delays and the risk of landslides in vulnerable areas like steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars.

“In the last 24 hours, many stations in the north east portions of Metro Vancouver have reported over 80 mm of precipitation,” Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said. “We’ve had some mudslides and debris flows coming down in the Coquitlam area, and over the next 24 hours we’re expecting that to expand into other portions of the Lower Fraser Valley.”

“It’s been a very active weather pattern and its going to be ending sometime through the day tomorrow, and I think many people in the province are looking for some relief from it.”

You can find the latest weather alerts from Environment Canada here.