Snowfall warnings were issued for the Edmonton region, where up to 10 to 15 centimetres could fall by the end of the weekend. The snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue until Sunday morning.
Environment Canada predicts the heaviest snow to develop near the city of Edmonton, however, Global Edmonton chief meteorologist Jesse Beyer said the placement of an upper-level trough will make a difference in the snowfall totals in Edmonton and surrounding area.
“There will be heavy snow in central and southern Alberta — narrowing down the ‘exact’ location has some wiggle room as of now,” Beyer said.
“Edmonton, with the right set up, could see up to 10 to 15 centimetres of snow.”
Areas under the snowfall warning include the City of Edmonton and immediate area, stretching north to Athabasca, south to Camrose and Rimbey, west to Evansburg and Mayerthorpe, and east to Vegreville and Smoky Lake.
Beyer added Edmonton could also see as little as five centimetres, depending on how things set up in the atmosphere. The snow will taper off by Sunday morning.
“Edmontonians should have the shovels handy Sunday morning and be prepared for 10 centimetres of shoveling, give or take.”
This could be the first significant snowfall of the season in Edmonton, where there’s new, two-phase parking ban rules in place for this year.
In Phase 1, city crews will clear arterial and collector roads, bus routes and business improvement areas and drivers can continue to park on residential streets.
When Phase 2 is implemented, drivers can park in their driveway, in a parking space on a neighbour’s property — with permission — or on any road cleared during Phase 1 where parking is normally allowed.
Snow clearing in Phase 1 is expected to last about 48 hours, the city said. Phase 2 will last about five days to a week overall, but the city said the impact on individual communities should only be about 72 hours.
Global News reached out to the city to see if there’s a chance of a parking ban this weekend, but a spokesperson said it’s too early to make that call.
Southern Alberta, Sask. to experience “blizzard-like conditions”
The weather hitting the Edmonton region comes as a significant winter storm is set to pummel southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Winter storm watches are in effect for the province south and east of Calgary.
Total snowfall amounts will range from 30-40 centimetres, with locally higher amounts near 50 centimetres possible in the Pincher Creek region and near Cypress Hills.
Environment Canada said the first wave of snow in the Pincher Creek and Cardston regions will start Friday night into Saturday, dropping about five centimetres of snow, plus a mix of rain and snow.
As the first system moves off, another round of snow is expected late Saturday morning. The federal weather agency said this snow will spread northeast from Pincher Creek to Medicine Hat by Saturday evening, and taper off Sunday night. Another 25-30 centimetres of snow is expected by the time the storm ends.
Strong northerly winds are expected to create widespread blowing snow with “blizzard-like conditions” possible starting Saturday afternoon and lasting into Sunday, Environment Canada said.
Total snowfall amounts will range from 30 to 40 centimetres, with locally higher amounts near 50 centimetres possible in the Pincher Creek region and near the Cypress Hills.
Snowfall warnings are issued when significant snowfall is expected. Be prepared to adjust your driving, as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
One of the best ways to track locally hazardous driving conditions is from local viewer reports. The #yegtraffic hashtag is often used by Twitter users reporting traffic issues within Edmonton.
If safe to do so, share your weather photos with us via the Global Edmonton Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can also post updates from your community using the hashtags#yegwx and #abstorm.
Want your weather on the go? Download Global News’ Skytracker weather app for iPhone, iPad and Android.
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