Nechako Northcoast, the company tasked with cleaning area roads, is advising drivers to take extra care due to an expected heavy snowfall and rapidly changing temperatures starting tomorrow morning through Saturday.
"We are expecting 10-20 cm of snow starting Friday morning through Saturday," said Tyler Nesbitt, manager of planning and program development for Nechako Northcoast Construction.
"Of special concern is the rapid rising of temperatures forecast which would deposit rain/freezing rain on roads and highways that, after weeks of freezing temperatures, currently have pavement temperatures ranging from -10 to -20 degrees Celsius.
"With current frost in the ground as deep as five feet, rain that falls on pavement that cold could freeze very quickly."
Nechako crews will be out in force, 24 hours a day, plowing snow and applying sand to restore traction.
"However, if the temperatures rise quickly and the rainfall amount is significant, there is the possibility of rain turning to ice over the sand we apply. We have experienced this situation in the past, where essentially as fast as you can lay the sand down, the rain turns to ice over it," said Nesbitt, adding this weather has the potential to cause very challenging road conditions.
Please follow Drive BC closely as travel advisories will be used if road and weather conditions deteriorate.
Here are the direct links to Drive BC Road Conditions in the Skeena District and the Winter Storm Watch from Environment Canada:
http://drivebc.ca/#listView&district=Skeena
http://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?bc9#202104701914204588201701120502ww1171cwvr
Nechako will provide additional updates if subsequent weather forecasts change significantly from what is currently forecast.
If drivers experience any difficulties on the roads, please call Nechako's 24/7 live–answer call centre at 1-800-665-5051.