Snowfall warning in effect on Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt; Rogers Pass to close Tuesday

Environment Canada has issued a yellow-level snowfall warning for the Hope to Merritt section of the Coquihalla Highway, where as much as 30 centimetres of snow could fall on Tuesday (Jan. 6) into early Wednesday morning.

“A frontal system moving into interior BC will bring heavy snow to the Coquihalla Summit on Tuesday,” the warning issued just after 4:00 p.m. Monday (Jan. 5) said. “The system will pass late Tuesday, but snow will continue through Tuesday night due to an unstable southwest flow.”

A similar snowfall warning is also in effect on the Trans-Canada Highway between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass, with 15 to 25 centimeters of snow expected to fall overnight Monday through to Wednesday.

DriveBC said Monday that the Trans-Canada Highway will be closed between Revelstoke and Golden, starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday for avalanche control work. The highway is expected to reopen at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening, and updates can be found here.

There will be no detour available, and DriveBC notes eastbound commercial vehicles will be held in Malakwa for the duration of the closure.

The closure at Rogers Pass comes as Avalanche Canada reports a high danger rating through Rogers Pass. The danger rating in the Cascade Mountains around Hope is also currently high.

Environment Canada says travel on both major highways will likely be challenging as visibility is expected to be reduced by the weather systems.

“Weather in the mountains can change suddenly, resulting in hazardous driving conditions,” Environment Canada added in its warnings.

You can find the latest weather alerts from Environment Canada here and the latest on highway conditions from DriveBC here.