East Kootenay residents awoke to yet another dose of winter this morning (March 22), administered by an Old Man Winter who, while he may have abandoned his duties elsewhere in Canada, with record highs being experienced in such classic winter ‘hot spots’ as Winnipeg, appears to remain of fond of being an annoying old swine in the Canadian Rockies.

Or he’s just giving his pals, the skiers, boarders and sledders, a few more days of fun and often dangerous games.

Be wary of the backcountry, folks. Avalanche conditions remain extreme.

And be careful on the roads, as winter driving conditions prevail throughout the region.

Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park is experiencing heavy snowfall, from Radium Hot Springs to Vermilion Crossing.

Highway 93/95, from Radium to Highway 3 near Cranbrook is a blend of icy, snowy and slushy conditions. Several drivers have found themselves in the ditch, and in the case of one pickup near Fort Steele, up against a rock wall. Slow down and be wary of changing conditions.

The section from Canal Flats to the junction of Highway 95A and 93/95 has some lengthy slippery sections along with compact snow.

Highway 3 west of Cranbrook is a mixture of wet and slushy conditions, as is Highway 95A from Cranbrook to Kimberley, and Kimberley to TaTa Creek.

East of Cranbrook, Highway 3 begins to feature compact snow and slushy sections at Elko, all the way to Fernie, and the same conditions prevail from Fernie to Sparwood, with some slippery sections thrown in to keep drivers on their toes. Conditions are slushy with slippery sections from Sparwood to the Alberta border.

Highway 43 from Sparwood to Elkford also has slippery sections mixed in with mostly slushy conditions.

To get a glimpse of updated highway conditions, go to drivebc.ca.

https://www.drivebc.ca/#mapView&z=7&ll=50.819818262156545,-116.3671875

Temperatures in the East Kootenay are currently (as of 3:30 p.m.) ranging from 2 to 4C, with lows expected to be in the -4C range this evening, with good chances of flurries, especially in higher elevations.

For an update on weather conditions heading into the weekend, go to: https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/cranbrook/v1c/weather-forecast/52914

Above image: A Mainroads Contracting plow truck tends to business in Skookumchuk Flats earlier today.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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