Freezing rain causes treacherous conditions in Edmonton, surrounding areas

WATCH ABOVE: Freezing rain overnight made Edmonton area roads very slick this morning. As Lisa Wolansky tells us, there were a number of crashes.

EDMONTON — Edmonton and surrounding communities were hit by freezing rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning, causing treacherous conditions.

Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning for Edmonton and much of central Alberta Wednesday afternoon.

The warning was lifted for Edmonton and surrounding communities Thursday morning.

Motorists were advised to be cautious and drive to the conditions, as area roads and highways became icy and slippery. The City of Edmonton trucks began spreading abrasives at 3 a.m.

Morinville sent an advisory early Thursday morning not recommending travel on highways in Sturgeon County in and around Morinville.

Strathcona County RCMP urged drivers to slow down and allow extra time, citing several multiple vehicle collisions, particularly on less-travelled roads in rural areas.

“It’s probably one of the toughest conditions we deal with because it comes on suddenly, and it makes very difficult driving conditions quickly,” said Cpl. Darren Anderson, Strathcona County RCMP.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's probably one of the toughest conditions we deal with because it comes on suddenly, and it makes very difficult driving conditions quickly," said Cpl. Darren Anderson, Strathcona County RCMP.

Edmonton Catholic Schools said at least one bus company had pulled its buses off the roads because of the treacherous conditions. Sturgeon School Division cancelled many of its buses Thursday morning.

WATCH ABOVE: Michel Boyer provides on update on conditions in Edmonton and surrounding communities after freezing rain hits many parts of central Alberta 

Edmonton could see more freezing rain that will turn to snow on Thursday evening, said Global Edmonton weather specialist Mike Sobel.

“At this point it doesn’t look like we’re going to get the 15 centimetres we got last week, but we better keep our eyes on this in terms of accumulation. Right now it looks like a couple centimetres,” explained Sobel.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "At this point it doesn't look like we're going to get the 15 centimetres we got last week, but we better keep our eyes on this in terms of accumulation. Right now it looks like a couple centimetres," explained Sobel.

Alberta and the Edmonton area have seen a high number of freezing rain warnings so far this winter.

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(Graphic: Tonia Huynh, Global News)

For the latest on the freezing rain warning, including affected areas, visit Environment Canada’s website.

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