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Weather warnings in effect as snow arrives in B.C.

Parts of the Coquihalla and Highway 3 expected heavy snow Thursday night.

Parts of Coquihalla, Highway 3 expect heavy snow

CBC News ·
Bear Mountain Golf Course in Victoria B.C. was transformed by the first snow of the season on Nov. 2. (Bill Quin/Twitter)

For information on highway conditions and closures, check DriveBC.

For environment warnings and alerts, check Environment Canada.

For tips on preparing your vehicle for winter, click here.

November has arrived, and so have the snow spells that bedevil B.C.'s highways.

On Thursday, Environment Canada said southern interior highway passes could see up to 30 centimetres of snow before the weather tapers off around midnight. At least 10 centimetres are expected in the eastern regions.

Several sections of Highways 3, 1, 97C and the Coquihalla were closed temporarily Thursday night. All have since reopened, although traffic advisories are still in effect and drivers are being told to use caution.

Snowfall warnings are in effect for the following stretches as of 10 p.m.:

  • Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt.
  • Coquihalla from Merritt to Kamloops and Kelowna.
  • Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna.
  • Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton, via Allison Pass.
  • Highway 3 from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass.

Regional snowfall warnings have been issued for the Boundary, Nicola, Okanagan Valley, Shuswap, Similkameen, South Thompson and Kootenay areas.

The white stuff started to fall in Burnaby, Langley, Chilliwack, West Vancouver, Nanoose Bay, White Rock across the Interior and in many other cities on Thursday afternoon.

Several flights in and out of Kelowna International Airport were cancelled Thursday night due to the weather. In Princeton, inns were full as truckers parked for the night due to closed roads.

Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau said a combination of Arctic air and moist air coming off the Pacific Ocean is causing the heavy, wet snow in parts of the province.

"The cold air is just moving into place," Charbonneau told CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.

The agency said mixed rain is still a possibility into Friday morning, with cooler weather expected all weekend.

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