Edmontonians should brace themselves for bone chilling cold, strong winds, and difficult driving conditions until the middle of the week, city officials said Monday.

Northern Alberta has been hit by brutally cold temperatures and strong winds with readings in the -30 C range and windchill in the -40 C range. The region has also received up to 10 centimetres of snow in the last 24 hours.

Motorists struggle on slippery hills during Monday's morning commute.
(CBC)

Many city commuters took more than an hour to get to work Monday morning, particularly those who had to travel through the city's River Valley. Many motorists got stuck on the hills, which turned into sheets of ice.

"The wind is blowing the same snow back on the roadway so we are having to plow the same snow over and over again," said Barry Belcourt, the city's director of roadway maintenance. "Until the winds stops you won't get ahead of the game."

City crews were switching to a different mixture of sand, which includes small chips, in attempt to provide better traction on the slippery streets, Belcourt added.

Edmonton Transit was also putting extra staff on the road, said Mike Derbyshire, director of safety and security for city bus system.

But passengers should "dress for the weather" because buses are still expected to be running up to 30 minutes late until conditions improve.

Bus drivers who normally operate express routes have been told to pick up customers at other routes along their way.

"Our main objective is that no one gets left behind," Derbyshire said.

The city's public and Catholic school boards are also warning parents to take extra precautions. Both boards have had to cancel some school buses due to breakdowns.

"Children must be dressed for this cold ... in case they need to wait longer for their bus," said Lory Nagy, manager of public relations for Edmonton Catholic Schools.

They should also be able to return home, or go someplace warm, if their bus does not arrive within 20 minutes, she said.