Drivers are being warned about the winter driving conditions as Calgary and the surrounding region continues to get hit with snow flurries.
Calgary police said Friday afternoon that northbound Stoney Trail between 16 Avenue N.E. and McKnight Boulevard N.E. was closed for a couple of hours due to a collision. Police are advising people to stay off the roads unless necessary because of poor driving conditions.
“We are recommending that you do not travel,” said Calgary police.
The collision between a semi-truck and two smaller vehicles occurred at approximately 11:26 a.m. on northbound Stoney Trail. No injuries were reported.
“Please slow down, leave extra room between vehicles and ensure your lights are on if you are out,” said police.
RCMP reporting serious collision east of Carstairs involving 25 to 30 vehicles
Airdrie and Didsbury RCMP said they are also investigating a serious, multi-vehicle collision east of Carstairs.
The crash occurred around 11:25 a.m. on Highway 2 near the junction with Highway 581. RCMP estimates 25 to 30 vehicles were involved in the collision. One of the drivers in the crash was transported by EMS with unknown injuries.
According to RCMP, officers closed the northbound lanes of Highway 2 and reduced the southbound lanes for several hours as both police and EMS first-responders tended to the scene.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says the snowfall is expected to continue overnight with a 30 per cent chance of flurries on Saturday morning. Calgary is anticipated to get five to 10 centimetres on Friday, and another two centimetres overnight.
The temperature on Friday fell to -7 C, with a low of -16 C expected overnight.
‘Drastic’ shift to cold temperatures underway
Calgary’s warm and sunny January is coming to a close with the coldest temperatures recorded so far this year, and snowy conditions ushering in what is likely to be a colder-than-normal February.
ECCC meteorologist Kyle Fougere said the low-pressure system moving through the province Thursday and Friday will be followed by a cold front coming down from the Fort McMurray region.
“It’s going to feel really cold compared to how warm it has been … right around Christmas time we went into this mild weather and we’ve had temperatures that have been consistently above normal for the past month,” he said.
“We’re gonna see a pretty drastic change and a return to winter.”
Fougere predicted slick and hazardous driving conditions throughout the southern Alberta region while the snow fell.
“We did have rain that fell over parts of the province (Wednesday) and (Thursday) morning, and now with that cold front coming down, we’re going to see some of that freeze and then snow on top of it. So there could be some pretty poor travel conditions over the next couple of days.”
Saturday is forecasted to bring the coldest weather of 2023 so far to Calgary with a high of -16 C and an overnight low of -19 C. Much of the same is expected for Sunday, with a high of -16 C and an overnight low of -18 C.
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— With files from Olivia Condon
