Blast of winter hits Interior high-elevation highways

Photo: DriveBC

The Pennask Summit Sunday morning.

While the weather across the Okanagan sure felt like summer last week, winter reared its head at higher elevations overnight.

A couple of centimetres of snow fell on the Okanagan Connector's Pennask Summit overnight, while the Coquihalla Summit was also hit with some snow.

Both highways appear relatively clear Sunday morning though. Snow is forecast to continue to fall at the summits of both highways Sunday, with rain at lower elevations.

To the east, Kootenay Pass, B.C.'s highest elevation highway at 1,781 metres, received 10 cm of snow overnight, and more snow is expected through the day.

Winter tires are required for travel on many of B.C.'s Interior highways, including the Connector and Coquihalla, until April 30.

And while Big White ski resort closed three weeks ago, the hill was also hit with 10 cm overnight.

"Always smiling when I see a fresh dump of Okanagan champagne powder," Big White vice-president Michael J. Ballingall posted to Facebook.