A bit of a challenging commute Tuesday morning for drivers in Kamloops is expected to be much less “white knuckle” through the rest of the day, and later this week.

The City of Kamloops has launched its first snow-clearing campaign of the season, after some 2 to 4 centimeters fell on certain parts of Kamloops through the later part of the morning commute, making it difficult for drivers to navigate certain routes, particularly going up or down inclines.

“While beautiful, it brings unique challenges for drivers,” wrote the City of Kamloops in a social media post Tuesday morning acknowledging the first sizeable snowfall of the season.

“Warm asphalt can cause snow to melt initially, but freezing occurs just as quickly, creating icy conditions,” the City added.  “With no material yet worked into the roads, it takes time for treatments to be effective. Stay cautious—slow down, keep extra distance, and ensure your vehicle is ready for winter driving.”

Work to get the roads into shape began shortly after sunrise.

“We’ve got 11 plow trucks out on each shift,” said Jeff Putnam, Streets Manager for the City of Kamloops told Radio NL on Tuesday morning.  “We’re putting salt down on the main roads to keep the ice down as much as we can. We’re also applying sand at intersections and steep areas.”

Putnam says the City has a long-standing plan of attack when it comes to snow clearing, starting with the so-called arterial routes.

“From the beginning of a snow event, we want to have those completely clear and as free of ice as possible within four hours,” noted Putnam.  “Examples of those roads would be Westsyde Road, Fortune Drive or Columbia Street.”

Once the Arterial roads are cleared, Putnam says the City then moves on to collector and transit routes, such as Ord Road and Springhill Drive, before tackling local roads over the following two or three days.

Putnam says even with more snow expected later this week, he says driving conditions in the City should be better than they were Tuesday morning.

“It’s always really challenging the first couple days of snow on the road,” noted Putnam.  “As we get the salt down and the sand down at intersections, it will definitely create a good base to work from.”

Environment Canada is calling for more snow to hit Kamloops on Thursday, Friday and possibly Saturday — though the total accumulations have not been projected at this point.