Forget spring weather – Environment Canada has issued another snowfall warning for much of Alberta, including the Edmonton area. On Friday morning, the warning was dropped for Edmonton but continued for other parts of northern Alberta.
At around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the agency warned that between 10 to 15 centimetres of snow is expected to fall.
“Persons in or near this area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take necessary safety precautions,” Environment Canada said in the warning.
Global Edmonton chief meteorologist Jesse Beyer said the snow is expected to start falling on Thursday, with the heaviest of the snow expected to fall overnight and into the first half of Friday.
Beyer said it’s hard to nail down how much snow the Edmonton area should expect to see, but suggested it will likely be around 10 centimetres.
The storm is coming thanks to a lot of moisture being pushed into central Alberta by the Pacific low. Beyer said the boundary from the arctic air will be running from Grande Prairie into east central Alberta, through the capital region.
The long boundary makes it hard to pinpoint exact snowfall totals and timing in the Edmonton area difficult, according to Beyer.
“For the city of Edmonton, 10 centimetres is a good number,” he said. “We may be a few centimeters above or below that mark by the end of Friday.”
Environment Canada encouraged drivers to be prepared for the possibility of a “significant impact” to rush hour traffic and to adjust driving habits with changing road conditions.
Beyer recommended extreme caution on highways Thursday and Friday, as blowing snow is likely.
Global Calgary weather specialist Paul Dunphy says about three centimetres of snow is forecasted for the Calgary area, expected to come in two waves.
“It looks as though it will begin snowing around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, until approximately 4 p.m., bringing about one centimetre,” Dunphy said. “Calgary will get a brief respite, and then it will start up again around 7 p.m. and go to around 2 a.m. on Friday.”
For a full list of affected areas, click here.
Earlier Wednesday, Environment Canada had issued a number of fog advisories and winter storm watches across the province. Those had been lifted before the snowfall warnings were issued.
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