As Edmontonians wait anxiously for the city to emerge from the deep freeze it has settled into the last few days, the city announced it will be deactivating its extreme weather response protocols on Saturday morning.
While the city said it plans to end its response because the weather is expected to be less cold this weekend, Global Edmonton meteorologist Jesse Beyer said people in Alberta’s capital and surrounding areas may still see some unpleasant weather at Christmas.
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“As we see the exit of the arctic air, a Pacific low will bring unsettled conditions to much of central and southern Alberta in the form of strong wind and mixed precipitation,” he said Friday afternoon.
“As a warm and moist Pacific air mass moves in, we may see heavy snow, strong wind and even mixed precipitation in parts in central Alberta and the southeast.
“Unfortunately, the timing of this transition from warm to cold will be on Christmas Eve. Any travel plans Saturday evening or Sunday morning should be met with preparation and specific forecast details for your planned route.”
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Beyer noted weather conditions should improve in Edmonton and surrounding areas on Monday.
As of early Friday afternoon, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s website still showed an extreme cold warning in place for Edmonton. The warning was later lifted at 2:13 p.m.
The City of Edmonton’s extreme weather response kicked in on Nov. 29. The Edmonton Transit Service has been providing overnight transportation for people without a place to stay to get to a shelter.
“Beyond the extreme weather response, ETS will continue to operate a shuttle bus to help vulnerable people find a warm, safe place to go each night,” the city said in a news release Friday. “The shuttle runs daily from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will remain operational as long as temperatures remain colder than -10 C.
“In addition, with support from the city, the Boyle Street Community Services warming bus will continue to operate throughout the winter regardless of temperature from 12:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.”
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