Snowfall warning ends after chaotic day

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

Police had appealed to drivers to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

Wildfire Risks

Okanagan's Fire Danger Rating already up to Moderate

18h ago

Structure Fire Response

VFRS undertaking annual structure fire training

20h ago

Beaver Lake and Vernon Creek Watershed Improvements

Lake Country taking action to support water management, flows at area watershed

Apr 22, 2026

“Road crews are working hard to keep up with weather conditions, but the driving conditions are still treacherous in many areas of the North Okanagan right now,” Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP spokesperson said. “If you don’t have an urgent need to be driving, we encourage you to stay at home.”

The crashes stretched from south of Vernon, near Okanagan College, north towards Enderby, police said.

————

An accident on Highway 97 by College Way closed the highway to traffic around 11 a.m. Tuesday morning although police have said it has since reopened.

A police spokesperson reported two separate vehicle collisions in the same area, including one vehicle that hit a light pole knocking it across the highway.

Drivers reported slow going between Lake Country to Vernon.

———

There have been about a half dozen crashes due to the wet, slippery conditions to the north and south of Vernon Tuesday morning but nothing serious by 9 a.m., RCMP reported.

Police said most of the accidents occurred farther North, toward Enderby, although there had been at least three to the south — one near the Vernon army cadet camp and two by Okanagan College.

“Road crews are working hard to keep up with weather conditions, but the driving conditions are still treacherous in many areas of the North Okanagan right now,” Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy, Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP spokesperson said. “If you don’t have an urgent need to be driving, we encourage you to stay at home.”

Meanwhile, the City of Vernon has issued a news release stating that the heavy snowfall and zero temperature has led to icy road conditions in Vernon.

It said all available crews were out clearing priority one roads Monday.

Those included arterials, collectors, bus routes, school zones and selected problem areas.

Priority two and three roads were expected to be cleared within 36-to-72 hours after the end of the snow event.

Motorists were also asked to avoid parking on the street, if possible, in order to allow snow plows to clear the roadways.

Meanwhile, in the Falkland area early this morning, there was a more serious crash when a Sysco truck went off the road taking out a power pole along Highway 97 at O’Neil Road, according to one witness.

The driver was reported to be OK.

DriveBC was also reporting a dangerous goods vehicle fire on Highway 97C that closed the road between Highway 5 and Highway 5A for 22 kilometres.