Heavy snow snarls traffic
Most snowfall on a December day since 2009: meteorologist
A few hours of heavy snowfall blanketed streets and snarled traffic in and around Edmonton on Wednesday, reducing visibility to almost nothing and causing dozens of collisions in snowy intersections.
About 85 car crashes were reported in the city between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Nine of those caused injuries.
CTV meteorologist Josh Classen said the last time Edmonton had this much snow fall in one December day was on Dec. 4, 2009, when 16 centimetres fell in the city. The cumulative snowfall is similar to what the city had in 2006, he said.
The snowfall added about 15 more centimetres of fluffy snow to some areas around Edmonton. Added to the snow already on the ground, the total snow depth in Edmonton is about 20 to 25 centimetres, he said.
Light snow started Wednesday morning but became heavier as the hours passed. The system dropped a band of snow in an area extending from Whitecourt to Leduc.
By mid-afternoon, RCMP detachments in Morinville, Stony Plain and Whitecourt had issued warnings as nearwhite-out conditions hit highways north and west of the city, and motorists were advised to stay home.
Skies cleared in the afternoon, though road conditions on highways around Edmonton remained poor.
Within the city limits, plows and graders were out in force, targeting major roads, bus routes, bridges, hills and the river valley in preparation for the afternoon commute. Hired graders were scheduled to join city crews at midnight.
“Weather — we take it as it comes,” said Bob Dunford, director of roadway maintenance, speaking to reporters outside the city’s central maintenance yard.
He said Edmonton’s arterial roads should be cleared by noon Thursday, and the city will look at whether to impose a seasonal parking ban.
Despite more snow than usual in November, the city’s snow-clearing budget is expected to remain “favourable” through the end of the year, Dunford said. But there’s always the possibility of more curveballs.
“We’ll see what December brings us,” Dunford said.
Dec. 21 marks the official beginning of winter.
Classen said there is little snow forecast for the next few days, but some potential for heavy snow on Sunday as temperatures warm to 0 C.
Environment Canada meteorologist Dan Kulak said November and December typically see the highest snowfalls in the Edmonton area, with January and February being the driest winter months. Edmonton then sees more snow as spring approaches.
Kulak said this year may be a more normal Edmonton winter, with large dumps of snow.