Numerous snowfall warnings were issued for Calgary and the nearby mountain parks on Wednesday, and motorists are urged to be cautious on the roads.
According to an alert by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Calgary and Rocky View County are expected to be hit with 10 to 20 centimetres of snow starting Wednesday evening and continuing into Thursday.
Precipitation will begin as rain or rain mixed with snow over lower elevations before transitioning into snow, the alert said.
The snow will be heavy at times and is forecast to taper off Thursday evening.
In response to the warning, the City of Calgary said it would plow and apply materials on the highest-volume roads first. This includes Crowchild Trail, Glenmore Trail and Memorial Drive.
Calgary Transit said it will be activating its snow detour routes on Thursday to avoid areas where buses may get stuck while still maintaining service coverage.
The Kananaskis area is also under a snowfall warning, with 10 to 20 centimetres forecast to fall starting Wednesday evening and into Thursday.
A similar warning was issued for Canmore.
Over in Banff National Park, snowfalls with a total of 15 centimetres are expected to fall starting Wednesday evening.
ECCC is warning motorists to be cautious on the roads because heavy snowfall can reduce visibility and may be difficult to navigate. There may be impacts on rush hour traffic in urban areas.
“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop,” ECCC’s alert read.