Snow storm wallops Edmonton, RCMP warn of treacherous road conditions

Heavy snow has arrived in Edmonton and most of the province.

Environment Canada issued a yellow-level warning Tuesday evening, saying that heavy snow is expected Wednesday morning.

“Well, it’s hard to measure just with the winds blowing around and such, but upwards of 10 cm of snow is possible,” said Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

RCMP have issued warnings against driving in most of the province, especially around Calgary.

Despite this, road conditions have not been ideal around Edmonton either. As of 3 p.m., 154 collisions had been reported at collision reporting centers.

The city’s snow-clearing team says they are all hands on deck to plow and sand major roads, with a Phase 1 parking ban beginning as of 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“We have all of our snow and ice crews available to provide traction and plowing depending on what we’re seeing. If we’re seeing freezing rain or snow melting, we’re going to be providing traction. As we see snow accumulation, we’re going to be plowing and pushing the snow to the sides,” said Valerie Dacyk, the general supervisor of the Edmonton Snow and Ice Operation.

Drivers who are planning on heading out of the city are advised to check 511 Alberta to see what road conditions are like and if any roads are closed.

CityNews spoke to some Edmontonians who were braving the elements. Some say they’re not happy walking through the snow.

“I have too many summer hobbies. I would rather be outside and not bundled up and everything I own,” said Amelia, an Edmontonian CityNews spoke to.

Grayson, another Edmontonian, said, “It’s been a long time since we’ve gotten this much snow before Christmas, so it’s certainly different.”

But the snowfall is good news for the Edmonton Ski Club. They’ve been using snow-making machines for weeks, but are finally letting Mother Nature take over.

“I’m sure we’re all looking out the window and hoping it falls not only all day, all night, and tomorrow. The drive home won’t be so good or the drive back to work, tomorrow won’t be so great, but the ski hills have got to be loving this,” said Greg Suess, the general manager of the Edmonton Ski Club.

Edmonton airport delays and cancellations

Several flights out of the YEG Edmonton International Airport have been cancelled or delayed due to the heavy snowfall.

As of 12:30 p.m., a spokesperson with the airport confirmed to CityNews that 13 flights had been cancelled.

“All [13 were] pre-emptively done by the airlines late yesterday in anticipation of the weather system moving in. Safety is our top priority,” read a statement from the airport.

By 4:30 p.m., there had been 18 cancelled flights.

Several of those cancelled flights were to and from Calgary, which has temporarily suspended all flights in the early afternoon due to the heavy snow and reduced visibility. Two flights that were destined for Calgary had also been diverted to Edmonton.

The spokesperson added that the airport is working to keep passengers and flights moving safely through the extreme weather conditions.

Travellers are also being advised to monitor their flight status via the Edmonton airport’s website.

-With files from Leo Cruzat