Coquihalla Highway reopens after stranded trucks cleared
The Coquihalla Highway has reopened after being closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt since early this morning, according to DriveBC.
According to Merritt RCMP, four or five transport trucks that didn't chain up became stranded, and blocked the road. No one was injured.
Meanwhile, Highway 3 east of Osoyoos remains closed in both directions due to a vehicle incident between Tamarack Drive and Nine Mile Pit for 19.4 kilometres, with no detour available.
The slick conditions are the result of snow that began falling during the night, covering mountain passes across southern B.C.
In the Lower Mainland the precipitation fell as wet snow at higher elevations including on Burnaby Mountain and the North Shore mountains.
CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said the inclement weather is a result of a Pacific low-pressure ridge colliding with a descending Arctic front.
"Areas below 800 metres may see some wet flakes this morning before temperatures warm a little and we all get the rain," she said.
Vancouver is expected to reach a high of 7 C today.
Tree failure warning
Widespread special weather statements and snowfall warnings remain in place across B.C.'s southern Interior, bringing the first snowfall of the season to many areas. Five to 15 centimetres is expected on valley floors.
In Penticton, B.C., city officials have issued a "tree failure" alert because of the early snow, warning people to stay away from trees with a lot of snow on them.
"A normal season would see trees dropping their leaves prior to a snow fall, but with a majority of trees still [retaining] leaves, the volume and weight of snow is greater on the tree branches and increase the breaking point," the bulletin reads.
Eastern Vancouver Island is also expected to see a couple of centimetres of snow accumulate north of Campbell River.
