What to know after record snow
Hatters began Monday digging out from a record snowfall on Sunday — work that could continue for the balance of the week, according to city officials.
Schools closed, roads were impassable, fenders bent, driveways and walks piled high with drifts up to four feet tall.
Garbage collection was paused and bus routes altered in a welcome wallop of winter.
City managers addressed the storm during a mid-morning press conference to discuss COVID response.
“(Crews) they’re going to be working throughout today and through the night and in the coming days,” said director of emergency management Merrick Brown. “Quite a bit of snow fell and there’s quite a bit of work to be completed still.”
The storm itself saw rain turn into snow Saturday, then heavier precipitation was whipped by wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour on Sunday.
A new record for November snowfall was set at 31 cm, with the equivalent of about one inch of water value.
But that was piled high and packed hard by blowing winds.
Intermittent snow was forecast for Monday before flurries on Tuesday and Wednesday. A high of -6 Monday was expected to be followed by a high of zero Tuesday, then warmer temperatures later in the week.
Police warned against all but absolutely necessary travel on Sunday, and traffic was light in the morning.
Road crews continued working to clear main roads. Graders, sanders and other equipment concentrate on high priority routes first — school zones, main arteries and hills — before moving on.
As well, the city utility department also reported a morning power outage that affected about 800 customer near the southern portions of Dunmore Road and the Medicine Hat Mall.
Schools out
The regional Prairie Rose School Division was the first to declare a snow day Monday, announcing Sunday night that unsafe road conditions led them to suspend busing.
Status for Tuesday was unknown at press time, nor for the Medicine Hat public schools, which had previously scheduled a five-day weekend for students starting Wednesday.
Parents of children in public schools were informed late Sunday that buses would not run on Monday, though schools would still be open for those who could attend. That, however, was followed by a message early Monday that due to a power outage and general safety of travel all schools would be closed.
Medicine Hat Catholic Board schools were closed Monday and will be until the end of the week as professional days were extended around the Remembrance
Day holiday on Wednesday.
Highways
Medicine Hat police urged motorists to stay off the streets Sunday, and advised against driving on sections of the Trans-Canada Highway until noon on Monday.
Travel throughout the region was discouraged on Sunday as partly or fully covered conditions and blowing snow set in on long sections of Highway 1 and 3.
Major highway conditions west of Medicine Hat improved steadily on Monday.
Saskatchewan highways reported at 1 p.m. Monday that the length of the Trans-Canada Highway in that province had reopened. The stretch from the Alberta boundary to Swift Current was closed Sunday afternoon, and at noon on Monday traffic was halted from Gull Lake to Walsh.
Highway 41 was covered, with secondary highways near Oyen closed, but that was reversed Monday.
Garbage
With high drifts and huge ruts in many back lanes, city officials announced that garbage collection would be suspended for the week.
Drivers as well were drafted into sanding and hauling duties for roadway clearance.
Pickups return Monday, Nov. 16, and yard waste pickup will continue through Nov. 20.
Buses
Totally halted on Monday morning, while city officials announced some altered routes by Monday afternoon and said new changes would be detailed on social media.