Winter weather wreaks havoc on highways in B.C.'s Interior

The Coquihalla Highway is reopened in both directions, but drivers are being warned to avoid the road and the treacherous conditions unless absolutely necessary.

The highway closed southbound from Merritt to Hope, B.C., at around 10 a.m. PT Tuesday, after a number of commercial vehicles lost control during treacherous road conditions Tuesday morning. Those lanes were open again by 5 p.m.

But Drive B.C. said Tuesday evening that the entire stretch of the Coquihalla between Hope and Kamloops was seeing heavy snow causing "extremely limited" visibility and warned travellers to avoid the route if possible. Anyone who chooses to venture onto the snowy highway should expect lengthy delays.

A travel advisory remains in effect as Environment Canada issues a winter storm warning for the area.

Up to 40 centimetres of snow is expected to fall on high-elevation highways by Wednesday morning.

Trans Canada closure

Closer to Kamloops, a head-on collision between two semi-trucks forced RCMP to close Highway 1 near Cherry Creek shortly after 2 p.m. 

Mounties said no one was injured in the crash, but one tractor trailer was blocking the road completely, while the second lay in a ditch on its side. 

Police said the highway was expected to be closed for two or three hours while they cleared the wreckage.

Traffic snarl on Highway 97

Earlier Tuesday, traffic came to a stop along a major Okanagan artery as a crash closed Highway 97 in both directions between Summerland and Penticton, B.C.

The crash happened four kilometres south of Summerland, according to Drive B.C., sending several people to hospital. The highway has since fully reopened.

A winter storm warning is in effect for the Central Okanagan, Okanagan Connector and Kootenay Pass, while a snowfall warning is in place for the North and South Okanagan.

Drivers are being warned to expect hazardous road conditions.