The snowfall Edmonton was expecting for several days may not have been as severe as initially expected, but a substantial amount still hit the city Friday evening into Saturday.
A winter storm warning was in effect Friday morning for much of central and southern Alberta, including the city of Edmonton. However, it was changed to a snowfall warning at 3:30 p.m.
Edmontonians woke up to a winter wonderland Saturday morning, with Environment Canada reporting five to 10 centimetres had fallen overnight and another five centimetres was expected Saturday.
READ MORE: Edmonton buckles down for another winter storm Friday
Edmonton police warned drivers to slow down and adhere to winter driving habits after “collisions galore” were reported Saturday morning.
There were 107 collisions on city streets between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday, including four injury collisions, according to police.
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Some Edmontonians took advantage of the March snowfall — Rabbit Hill Snow Resort hosted the annual Family Winter Festival, which raises money for the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society, and many skiers and snowboarders came out to participate in the event.
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The snowfall in Edmonton was modest compared to Calgary, where heavy, wet snow created chaos, with lanes being shut down on highways north and west of the city and some sections rendered impassable.
Environment Canada meteorologist Alysa Pederson said since the first band of snow hit around 11 p.m. Thursday night, some areas in Calgary saw between 20 to 30 centimetres of snow by 10 a.m. Saturday.
As of 12:30 p.m., a snowfall warning remained in effect in parts of the province, including Edmonton, Red Deer, Drayton Valley, Devon, Rimbey, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Leduc, Camrose, Wetaskiwin, Tofield and Spruce Grove.
By 5 p.m., the warning had ended in some of those areas, but continued in Edmonton and surrounding communities, including St. Albert, Sherwood Park and Leduc.
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