Heading into Thanksgiving, many Albertans are preparing for long weekend travel plans.
Before you head out the highway, make sure you take a close look at the forecast. A moderate weather system brought record-breaking snowfall to parts of central Saskatchewan, with some highways east of the Alberta border still showing “winter driving conditions.”
A pacific low pressure system is moving in Friday. This weather feature brings the risk of some less than ideal driving conditions for many highways in central Alberta this weekend.
Late Friday night, Environment Canada issued a freezing drizzle advisory for areas of central Alberta, including areas south of and including Red Deer. Calgary was included in the advisory as of 10:40 p.m. Friday, but Edmonton was not.
READ MORE: Snow possible in central and southern Alberta Friday
The city of Edmonton itself will likely stay on the outside edge of the first wave of flurries Friday evening, though shortly after 4 p.m. light snow was being reported at the Edmonton International Airport.
There is still a moderate chance that the outside edge of the initial band will deposit a rain-snow mix Friday evening.
The main concern is with some liquid precipitation Friday and below zero temperatures overnight, some roadways may become icy Saturday morning in the Capital Region.
If you’re heading away from the city towards the west, south or southwest, be prepared for reduced visibility due to snow and possible icy roads as we head into the evening and overnight hours.
Saturday will bring a second wave of flurries in the morning, making travel a challenge for some areas towards the west and northwest.
Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning looks to be the most intense wave.
There is the possibility of accumulating snow for a wide swath of central Alberta extending from Jasper, through the Capital Region, through the Lloydminster area.
Areas on the south side of this band may see a rain-snow mix and the Red Deer area will likely be into a few scattered showers.
Moderate to heavy rain is possible for the Coronation area.
At this point, travel Sunday morning across central Alberta may not be the best.
Before hitting the highways, tune into your local forecast on Global Edmonton for all the latest details on this weekend’s systems.
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