Heavy snow blankets southern Alberta
Officials were advising against any travel on southern Alberta highways and roads Sunday
CBC News
Posted: Mar 2, 2013 2:36 PM MT
Last Updated: Mar 3, 2013 6:25 PM MT
Calgary is expected to get as much as 25 centimetres of snow today. (Rebecca Lynn/CBC)
Related
Related Stories
External Links
(Note:CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)
Most of southern Alberta got hit with a blast of winter weather Sunday, which reduced visibility and caused dangerous road conditions.
Many southern Alberta highways were closed and RCMP were advising against any travel in the area. Highway 2 from Fort Macleod to Calgary opened around 6 p.m. MT Sunday, but officials said the road was still very slippery.
Officials were asking motorists on Sunday afternoon to find the closest town or a safe place to wait out the storm, and stranded drivers were being asked to call 911 for help.
Strong winds and anywhere from 15 to 25 centimetres of snow was in the forecast for Calgary Sunday, and another five centimetres could fall on Monday.
City spokesperson Kelly Dyer says it's too early to know if a snow route parking ban will be put into effect.
Calgary police were advising motorists to stay off city roads because of dangerous conditions.
The Calgary International Airport was also seeing weather-related delays and some cancellations.
Officials are advising travellers to check their flight before heading to the airport.
FortisAlberta crews had to restore power to roughly 3,000 customers near Langdon, Chestermere and Okotoks earlier Sunday because of downed power poles.
Westbound Heritage Drive near Deerfoot Trail in Calgary will also be closed for roughly 24 hours to repair downed power lines.
Snow hits the Rockies
Officials at Sunshine Village said Saturday that the ski hill located near Banff got 42 centimetres of fresh powder in 24 hours.
"What a tremendous way to kick off the month of March," said Dave Riley, Sunshine's chief operating officer.
Backcountry skiers are being warned of avalanche danger this weekend in the mountains west of Calgary because of a Pacific rain system called the Pineapple Express. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)Officials said the new snow is attributed to the Pineapple Express system converging over the Rocky Mountains.
"This new snow has provided epic conditions for skiers and riders this weekend and leading into the spring ski season."
But Alberta backcountry enthusiasts are being warned about an avalanche danger this weekend.
The risk in Kananaskis and the south Rockies is rated as considerable to high.
Share Tools
Latest Calgary News Headlines
- Calgary's new school construction comes with condition
- The construction of six new schools in Calgary is tied to public school board helping the province find space for the expansion of charter schools. more »
- 6 ways to have a picnic in Calgary
- CBC Calgary's food and nutrition columnist Julie Van Rosendaal gives some suggestions for good picnic foods. more »
- Parents in dark about teens tanning, study suggests
- New research into the use of indoor tanning salons by Alberta teenagers suggests their parents are clueless about it. more »
- Airdrie moves toward anti-bullying bylaw
- A bylaw to address bullying in Airdrie could be in place by this fall after it passed first reading at city council Monday evening. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Senators call for 'zero tolerance' on harassment in RCMP
- The RCMP should amend its code of conduct to explicitly define and prohibit harassment, a Senate committee is recommending in a newly tabled report. more »
- Are e-cigarettes safe to puff?
- As electronic or e-cigarettes grow in popularity, some health advocates want them to be regulated. more »
- Most groups don't want return of Trudeau speaking fees
- Most of the 17 charitable and other organizations that have paid speaking fees to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau during his time as an MP say they aren't interested in having their fees returned, despite Trudeau's offer on the weekend to reimburse any organization unhappy with his services. more »
- Google asks secret court to lift gag on surveillance
- Google is asking the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to lift its long-standing gag order on how often the company is asked to turn over data about its customers to the U.S. government. more »
- Motorcyclist takes photos of wolf chasing him on highway
- Violent serial attacker sent to prison indefinitely
- Bank robbing ex-MRU student president awaits sentence
- Tornado warning ends east of Calgary
- Amber Alert ends after infant girl located by Edmonton police
- Man accused of murder now facing sex-related charges
- Alberta police chiefs call for stricter speeding laws
- Wolf seen running along mountain highway again
- Bernard Callebaut's Papa Chocolat ordered to cease trading

