Trans-Canada finally opens

UPDATE: 10:30 p.m.

After it was closed for the better part of the day due to avalanche danger, the Trans-Canada Highway has reopened between Revelstoke and Golden. 

The highway has been closed since the early hours of Thursday, before reopening just after 10 p.m. 

The snow continues to fall hard in the area though, and DriveBC is warning drivers to use "extreme caution" and expect delays and congestion along the highway. 

Upwards of 25 centimetres of snow is expected to fall on the highway overnight. 

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UPDATE: 7:05 p.m.

While DriveBC had previously estimated the Trans-Canada Highway would open between Revelstoke and Golden by 8 p.m., that reopening estimation has now been pushed back to 10 p.m.

The highway has been closed for the better part of the day due to high avalanche risk in the area, as dozens of centimetres of snow continues to fall on the mountain pass. 

The snow is expected to continue to fall through the night. 

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UPDATE: 3:07 p.m.

Good news for some drivers travelling along Highway 1 east of Golden. 

Drive BC is reporting that a 17.4 km-stretch highway has been cleared between Golden Donald Upper Rd and Beaverfoot Rd, (2 km east of Golden to 4 km west of West Boundary of Yoho National Park).

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UPDATE: noon

High risk of avalanche has closed the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden, the Ministry of Transportation advises.

The highway is expected to remain closed with no detour until 8 p.m.

A severe winter storm has brought more than 40 centimetres of snowfall to the region, with 20 to 30 more cm expected throughout the day, and as much as 50 cm forecast for Rogers Pass.

Avalanche control work is taking place in multiple areas to ensure safety once the highway is reopened. 

Highway 1 is also closed at Kicking Horse Canyon east of Golden due to avalanche control, and the road will be reopened as soon as it is safe to do so, the ministry reports.

A travel advisory also remains in effect east of Sicamous to Golden due limited visibility and heavy snowfall. 

Elsewhere, Highway 3 will be closed at Kootenay Pass from 1 to 4 p.m. for avalanche control. A detour is available from Nelson to Creston via Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake Ferry.

High avalanche hazard is also reported on Highway 23, north of Mica Dam, and the route is closed.

A travel advisory is also in place for Highway 93, from Radium Hot Springs to the Alberta border.

 

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UPDATE: 9 a.m.

Travellers using mountain passes across Southern and Southeastern British Columbia are facing challenging conditions and travel is not recommended in some areas as heavy snow blankets many routes.

Environment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for most major passes to and from the Interior, including the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt where total snowfall of up to 35 centimetres is possible by Friday morning.

Drive BC, the province's online travel information system, says Highway 1 between Revelstoke and Golden is closed until at least 8 p.m. for avalanche control and no detour is available.

The weather office also warns of hazardous conditions on the Squamish to Whistler section of the Sea-to-Sky Highway as between 15 to 25 centimetres of snow is forecast through the day.

Rainfall warnings are posted for Metro Vancouver and many other areas of the south coast, while eastern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast continue to be buffeted by winds reaching 70 km/h.

As much as 100 millimetres of rain is forecast for parts of Vancouver Island, and Environment Canada warns heavy downpours can cause flash flooding or water pooling on roads, but it also says the latest weather system should ease as the front passes late Thursday.

– with files from Canadian Press

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UPDATE: 7:45 a.m.

Highway 1 is now open in both directions between Rogers Pass Summit Road and Beaver Valley Rd.

The Trans-Canada was closed in both directions for several hours Thursday morning after a multi-vehicle collision about a kilometre east of Rogers Pass.

There is also avalanche control work being conducted along the Trans-Canada between Townley St and Anderson Rd for a distance of 141.4 km, from Revelstoke to 1 km west of Golden. According to DriveBC the work will be ongoing and there is no detour available at this time.

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ORIGINAL: 5:45 a.m.

The Trans-Canada Highway is closed in both directions just east of the Rogers Pass.

DriveBC indicates a multi-vehicle collision between Rogers Pass Summit Rd and Beaver Valley Rd. The highway is closed for 11.0 km, 1 km east of Rogers Pass Summit to 12 km west of East Boundary of Glacier National Park.

Environment Canada has issued warnings for many of the mountain passes in the interior, including the Coquihalla Highway - Hope to Merritt:

•    Highway 3 - Hope to Princeton via Allison Pass
•     Highway 3 - Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass
•     Trans-Canada Highway - Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass
•     Yellowhead Highway - Tête Jaune Cache to the Alberta Border

Storm total snowfall accumulations up to 35 centimetres possible by Friday morning as an intense frontal system stalls over southern British Columbia.

A messy period this morning as freezing levels vary from near Hope to the Coquihalla Summit depending on the intensity of the precipitation. This will result in challenging road conditions as snow and rain mix to create slushy and slippery surfaces. The warm front should make its way through this afternoon, changing the rain/snow mix to rain. There is the potential for freezing rain this morning and early afternoon as the warm front passes through.

However, rain will change back to snow late this evening resulting in further snowfall accumulations. The snow will ease to flurries Friday morning.

Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.

Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions.