People travelling over the West Kootenay’s mountain passes are being warned to take care.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Boundary, West Kootenay, and Kootenay Lake areas.
It says a Pacific weather system will bring snow to the southern highway passes tonight and Thursday. Snowfall with total amounts of 15 to 25 cm is expected.
Starting to the west of the region, the weather system will drop the snow from the Coquihalla to the Paulson Summit and Kootenay Pass.
“Snow will increase in intensity overnight and continue into Thursday morning as the system passes through the region,” the warning states. “The heavy snow will ease in intensity through Thursday but periods of snow [are] still expected.”
The site says drivers should be “prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations”.
It won’t be just in the passes either: Environment Canada says snow levels will go down to valley bottoms.
Total snow accumulations up to 25 cm may fall during the event for tonight and Thursday.