Alberta is expected to remain in the grips of a deep freeze, which means the 30th annual cross-country ski event has been forced to cancel its main ski events Friday and Saturday.

In 2016, the event was cancelled due to low amounts of snow and icy trails. The following year, Canadian Birkebeiner Society president Mark Ryan said the event was again almost cancelled because of weather conditions.

The Canadian Birkebeiner takes place east of Edmonton and features cross-country skiing races of up to 55-kilometres long.