Rain through much of the day Tuesday and freezing temperatures overnight made for a slick commute Wednesday morning.
Snow continued to fall Wednesday morning, after the rain turned back into snow overnight.
At least one serious collision was reported Wednesday morning. A nine-year-old was taken to hospital with critical injuries after a crash between a car and a bus in the area of Manning Drive between 17 Street and Highway 28A. Police have not said whether road conditions were a factor.
Between 6 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., police were called to 54 property-damage collisions, nine hit-and-runs and four injury collisions.
By 3:30 p.m., police had been called out 134 collisions:
- 110 property damage collisions
- 18 hit-and-run collisions
- 6 injury collisions
READ MORE: Child in critical condition after car, bus collide in northeast Edmonton
On Wednesday morning, about 51 sanders were out on the streets of Edmonton.
The city said it was prepared to send out its full fleet of plows, sanders and graders — over 150 pieces of equipment — if necessary. That usually happens once the snow accumulates to more than 10 centimetres.
“Winter is definitely on the way, but we’re prepared,” said Janet Tecklenborg with the city’s Parks and Roads Services department.
Between two and five centimetres of snow is expected to fall through Wednesday, with flurries on and off Thursday, Global Edmonton meteorologist Jesse Beyer said.
Temperatures are also expected to drop to close to -10 C to start the day Thursday; the daytime high should reach -8 C. Morning lows may be in the -15 C range through the weekend, Beyer said, with highs expected in the -5 C to -9 C range with sunshine.
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READ MORE: Here’s what Canadians can expect out of winter this season
When less than three centimetres of snow has fallen, the city conducts ongoing maintenance on the roads as needed, rather than sending out its full fleet. Once more than three centimetres falls and more snow is expected, the city sends out its plows and sanders.
The major roadways are the first priority for snow clearing, followed by collector and bus routes.
Once more than 10 centimetres of snow accumulates, the city may declare a seasonal parking ban.
With the winter weather in the forecast, the city sent out anti-icing crews last weekend to treat select roads, bike lanes and downtown bus stops. It’s part of a pilot project running this winter that sees a calcium chloride solution applied to certain roads in Edmonton.
“Calcium chloride is less corrosive than traditional salt and we’re working with materials that contain a corrosion inhibitor,” Tecklenborg said Wednesday.
The project expands upon a pilot conducted in February and March 2017. The city said the anti-icing solution will be applies to about 3,000 kilometres of road this year, or about 40 per cent of Edmonton’s arterial and collector roads.
The product, which is applied in a thin layer once per snowfall, prevents the snow from sticking to the pavement, the city said. The product is meant to make it easier for crews to remove snow from the streets.
During the initial pilot earlier this year, the city said it found treated lanes stayed clear of snow and ice longer than roads not treated with the solution.
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Watch below: Mike Sobel’s early morning weather forecast for Wednesday, Nov. 1.
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