Cold front brings wind, snow and hail risk to B.C. Interior
Environment Canada warns of gusty winds, falling snow levels and a risk of thunderstorms across a wide area.
A sharp cold front moving into British Columbia's Southern Interior on Saturday could bring gusty winds, snow and hail to a wide area.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement covering regions from the Fraser Valley east of Hope to the Cariboo, Prince George and the Lakes District.
The agency said the front could bring winds of 60 to 80 km/h, creating difficult conditions for high-profile vehicles.
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"The cold front will be followed by colder and unstable air, bringing scattered showers and small hail," the warning said.
Snow levels are expected to fall to around 1,500 metres in southern B.C. and to 1,200 metres in central regions.
Environment Canada warns that wet snow may create slippery conditions on higher-elevation highway passes.
There is also a risk of thunderstorms across the Cariboo and Columbia regions.
The expansive statement covers the Fraser Valley East near Hope, the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Kamloops, Highway 97C, Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton via Allison Pass, Manning-Skagit Valley, Similkameen, Nicola, 100 Mile, Chilcotin, the Cariboo, Prince George, Stuart-Nechako and the Lakes District.
Winter tires are legally required on designated British Columbia highways from Oct. 1 to April 30.
Advance polls in B.C.’s snap provincial election open Friday, just two days after a televised debate gave voters their first real glimpse of the platforms and personalities of the three main party leaders.
Advance polls often attract voters who are more “locked in” or traditional, but casting a ballot early comes with a risk, says David Black, a political scientist at Royal Roads University.
“If you’re voting early and then things develop [in the last] days of the provincial [election], then your vote’s parked already. You can’t undo it and try again,” said Black.
Five major parties are running candidates in the Oct. 24 provincial election: the B.C. NDP, led by David Eby, the B.C. Conservatives, led by Lorne Doerkson, the B.C. Greens, led by Emily Lowan, CentreBC led by Elenore Sturko, and OneBC led by Dallas Brodie.
Among the NDP platform highlights are promises of a temporary reduction of 10 cents per litre in the provincial motor fuel tax on both gasoline and diesel, and bringing in a new tax bracket for people making more than $1 million.
The NDP is also promising to freeze ICBC vehicle insurance rates for another three years for a total of 10 years.
Meanwhile, Doerkson has said that if elected to form government, the B.C. Conservatives would eliminate the PST on some items, hire up to 1,000 new police officers, Crown prosecutors and trial judges, and create a $50-million emergency fund to help address rural emergency room closures.
Lowan, running in Saanich North and the Islands, said the Greens would impose a one-time “fair share tax” on extreme wealth, beginning at a five per cent tax on net wealth above $50 million.
The Greens estimate their wealth tax would generate $22 billion in annual revenue, which would help address the province’s $13.8-billion deficit.
As of Thursday, the B.C. NDP, Greens, and CentreBC had fully costed platforms.
Doerkson said in a televised debate on Wednesday that his party would produce a costed platform before voters head to the polls, but did not specify which polls.
Black said while the NDP have had difficulty communicating their successes in government, the Conservatives have equally struggled to explain to voters how a party in utter “disarray” until the day the writ was dropped is somehow unified behind a virtually unknown leader.
“People want to come out when they feel their votes really going to matter,” said Black. “It’s going to be a ticket to the drama.”
Advance polls are open from Friday to Oct. 21 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ahead of the Oct. 24 general election day.
Your Space Hamilton reported in September that a warmer, drier fall was expected across most of Canada with potential long-term impacts.
With files from Castanet