The first sign of winter reared it's slushy head Thursday afternoon in downtown Trail.
Environment Canada says the powerful storm is finally here, warning winds over 70 kilometers/hour are quickly moving the system across the Central Interior and southward.
Heavy precipitation will accompany the front. Snow has started to fall east in the Columbia regions and called for in the West Kootenay. Locally, the ground may not stay white for long, as rising freezing temperatures are expected to turn snow to rain by late Thursday afternoon.
A prolonged period of precipitation is forecast into Friday, as the storm lingers over the southern part of the province.
A drivers' advisory has been issued for Highway 3, the Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass. Snow and blowing snow may reduce visibility, causing poor driving conditions at the higher elevations.
Over the next 24 hours, snowfalls of up to 30 centimeters are likely at Kootenay Pass and east on the Rogers Pass.
For more information, visit weather.gc.ca.