After a blast of freezing rain and brutal cold, Alberta is now bracing for a wintery storm that is expected to hit the province with blizzard conditions, powerful winds and battering snow.
As of Wednesday morning, much of the province was under extreme weather advisories, with hazardous winter conditions expected to include powerful wind gusts in the south and up to 30 centimetres of snow to fall in some communities before nightfall.
Snowfall and winter storm warnings have been issued for a large stretch of communities from northwestern Alberta, across the Edmonton region and into central Alberta.
According to the warnings issued by Environment Canada Wednesday, a heavy band of snow is expected to develop throughout the morning.
Very poor visibility in blowing snow is likely as heavy snow, with total amounts of 15 to 25 cm, combines with strong, gusty winds starting later Wednesday morning.
The heaviest snowfall is expected between Highway 16 east of Edmonton and Highway 12 east of Red Deer. Local amounts of 30 cm are possible, Environment Canada cautioned.
Drivers are advised to prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.
Blizzard conditions are also likely to develop in areas nearest the Saskatchewan border, particularly between Highway 14 and Highway 9 from Wainwright to Oyen.
Wind gusts to 90 km/h along with falling and blowing snow will reduce visibility to near zero in this area. Travel will likely be challenging and road closures are possible, Environment Canada said.
In the southwestern part of the province, Environment Canada has issued wind warnings.
Damaging winds are expected in areas including Lethbridge, the Crowsnest Pass, Cardston and Coutts.
“Westerly winds gusting up to 130 km/h are likely along the Highway 3 corridor between Lethbridge and the B.C. border late this morning and this afternoon,” the agency said. “Utility outages are likely. Driving conditions will likely be very difficult. High-sided vehicles could be overturned by the wind.”
Kyle Brittain, an Alberta-based weather specialist, said a clash between Arctic and Pacific air is to blame for creating powerful winter storms like the one about to hit Alberta.
Brittain said the storm is typical of Alberta clippers, fast-moving low-pressure systems that originate near the Rockies and track east-southeastward, bringing strong winds and colder temperatures.
“That strong zone of temperature contrast really fuels these storm systems,” he said.
“We’ve got a storm moving inland. And as it does, we start to see that rising air over central and northern areas of Alberta.”
The snowstorm comes after a band of freezing rain prompted warnings for drivers across the province, following a brief reprieve from the extreme cold.
Environment Canada expects temperatures to drop rapidly over the coming day as the storm system develops.
In Edmonton, the temperature is expected to fall to –16 C by Wednesday, with blowing winds that will make it feel more like minus 27.
The snow is expected to taper off from northwest to southeast Alberta on Wednesday afternoon, with heavy snow ending in the Edmonton area that evening, Environment Canada said.
Winds will begin to ease Wednesday afternoon, first across north-central Alberta. Blowing snow conditions will improve from northwest to southeast as the winds weaken.
Heavy snow will continue after winds ease, but will taper off through the afternoon and evening from north to south, Environment Canada said.
Brittain said the storm will make Wednesday a treacherous day for travel.
Areas west of Edmonton can expect heavy snow, while areas to the east will experience strong winds with gusts up to 70 km an hour, Brittain said.
“As you get east of Edmonton, out into those open Prairie fields, there’s more wind effects,” he said. “But treacherous travel conditions are expected, whether there’s wind or not.”
Brittain said current, “very active” weather pattern bringing stormy conditions to western Canada is expected to persist for the foreseeable future, aided by the ongoing surge in storm systems moving in from the Pacific coast.
“We’re going to see temperatures cooling and bringing us some colder temperatures in the coming days to weeks,” he said.
“We’re seeing wave after wave of these storm systems bringing high winds and snowy conditions.”
