City braces for icy commutes, chilly temperatures on Monday
Weekend storm system has passed, but wind chill remains as low as -30 C
Calgarians are in for frigid, slippery commutes on Monday after as much as 20 centimetres of the white stuff blanketed streets late last week and over the weekend.
Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Rob Griffith said that with the big storm system from the weekend having passed, things will be more benign into Monday and even Tuesday.
“After that storm has passed, a much colder air mass is settling in over Alberta, so wind chill values will be quite cold first thing tomorrow (Monday) morning,” said Griffith.
With a mix of sun and cloud on Monday, Griffith said there's a chance of flurries later in the morning; although it's unlikely to cause any significant snow accumulation.
Wind chill values for Calgary are likely to hover below -30 C in the morning, then -24 C in the afternoon. He said extreme cold warnings are likely to be issued for areas north of the city such as Airdrie and Drumheller, which indicates wind chills of -40 C.
Calgary Transit snow detours were also active on Sunday evening, affecting parts of routes that have been identified as challenging for buses in slippery conditions.
Roads plowed by Alberta Transportation, such as Deerfoot and Stoney Trail, were listed by 511 as partly covered by snow and ice on Sunday.
The City of Calgary started its snow removal clock at 8 a.m. on Sunday, prioritizing the city's busiest routes such as Crowchild Trail, Memorial Drive, and Glenmore Trail.
“We're looking at that for sort of Monday and Tuesday morning, but should warm up mid-week.”
March and April tend to be the snowiest months in Calgary, according to Griffith, so conditions like those experienced over the weekend are expected.
“You could say it's atypical for this winter, but it is in line with what normal winters would be,” he said.
Warmer conditions throughout this winter have been attributed to El Niño. Griffith said that from what he's heard, El Niño had peaked and was weakening.
Warmer, dryer conditions than usual also prompted the Alberta Government to declare an early start to wildfire season, 10 days earlier than the usual date of March 1.