Albertans in certain areas of the province are being told to brace for strong winds, as Environment Canada issued a wind warning Friday morning.
The warning, which was expanded to include the city of Calgary around 1:40 p.m., advised winds will strengthen through Friday afternoon and gusts of 90 km/h, and even over 100 km/h, are possible at times.
“A low-pressure system is working into central Alberta from the west. This fast-moving system will bring a substantial change in pressure,” Global Edmonton chief meteorologist Jesse Beyer said Friday morning.
Thousands were left without power on Friday evening, according to FORTIS, as the high winds swept through the province.
FORTIS said there were multiple outages stretching from north of Edmonton all the way south to Nanton and estimated more than 5,000 people were affected.
FORTIS said it brought on extra crews to help restore electricity.
RCMP in Nanton, about 92 kilometres south of Calgary, issued a statement early Friday afternoon urging drivers to be cautious on Highway 2 and Highway 22.
A news release from police said the conditions were causing an extreme driving hazard.
“Please proceed with caution, traffic may be slow moving at these locations,” RCMP said.
Temperatures are also expected to drop as the system moves through Alberta to Saskatchewan Friday night.
“The cold front associated with this area of low pressure will lead to heavy snow in the west and a wintry mix in the Edmonton area,” Beyer said.
“A cooler airmass will take over Saturday and leave many with a nearly 15C temperature drop from Friday-Saturday.”
Environment Canada warns that loose objects may be tossed by the wind, causing injury or damage. High winds can also cause tree branches to break.
A number of areas in western Alberta are also under snowfall warnings. A full list of warnings can be found on Environment Canada’s website.
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