WATCH ABOVE: Edmonton’s warmer weather is leaving many people smiling, but it’s also left streets and sidewalks like skating rinks. As Margeaux Morin reports, the ice is dangerous.
EDMONTON — Bouts of rain showers, freezing rain and the resulting freeze-thaw cycle from this mid-January warm up are wrecking havoc on area sidewalks and other concrete surfaces.
Alberta Health Services saw an increase in orthopaedic injuries that resulted from falls on icy surfaces this week, and even had to call in extra physicians on Wednesday to deal with the demand.
Shane Darby, an Emergency Medical Service supervisor in Edmonton, noted that the falls were particularly bad on private property that had yet to be maintained.
“Make sure that the snow is shovelled, [and] that you are putting some salt down or some gravel down on the ice that you can’t remove.”
Darby also had some tips for navigating the, at times, treacherous city sidewalks.
“Stay focused. So not getting distracted on your cell phones, not letting some other activity pull your attention away from that focus of walking across the icy surface.”
READ MORE: Albertans feeling hot, hot, hot thanks to January heat wave
For some, lead-tipped shoe spikes or strap-on grip enhancers have helped to prevent a spill, but if those aren’t an option this week, the Canadian Safety Council has some tips.
The organization suggests walking like a penguin: arms out, feet turned slightly outward and small cautious steps.
Rain showers are forecast for Friday and Saturday night this weekend, with overnight lows approaching or dropping below the freezing mark. As such, it is expected that the slick conditions will last well into the next work week.
WATCH: Margeaux Morin’s long range forecast
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