Lethbridge’s first significant snowfall of the season has hit the city on the same day for the second consecutive year. On Oct. 2 a year ago, snowfall led to extremely poor road conditions, even forcing closures on Whoop Up Drive and Highway 3.
READ MORE: Up to 20 cm of snow possible in southern Alberta by Wednesday: Environment Canada
Fast forward to today, the conditions are less severe, but snow-clearing efforts are still underway.
The company says they had 35 plows out on Tuesday from Nanton to the Montana border. The crews worked in Lethbridge, as well as on Highway 3 west of the city, Highway 785 and Highway 2.
Despite early October snow, there could be good news on the horizon for those who fear frosty conditions.
“The long-range climate forecast models are calling for a warmer-than-normal and dryer-than-normal winter this year,” Global News weather expert Paul Dunphy said.
“It should start up any time in the late fall, early winter, as we switch to a new El Nino cycle. This is the warm cycle, the El Nino Southern Oscillation. So it should be more Chinooks, it should be warmer and dryer here in the plains, but more snow is expected in the mountains.”
Lethbridge is expected to see around 10 cm of snowfall by Wednesday morning.