Environment and Climate Change Canada expects that the province’s first significant snowfall of the season will begin Monday morning, bringing colder temperatures with it.
Erin Staunton, a meteorologist with the agency, said up to 15 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in the Calgary area, starting early Monday morning through to Tuesday evening.
“Some of the snow that does fall will melt on contact when it hits the warm ground, so that’s going to lead to a lot of variability in the snowfall accumulations that we’re expecting to see,” said Staunton.
Staunton added that the agency currently has snowfall warnings in effect for areas north of Calgary, but said the city will also be affected.
“It’s certainly not unprecedented for this time of year, [but] it is going to be a bit of a shock to the system, given the warmer temperatures that we’ve been seeing up until now,” said Staunton.
The agency is predicting a low of -9 C on Monday and a low of -16 C overnight. On Tuesday, it’s expecting a low of -11 C.
Chris McGeachy, a spokesperson with City of Calgary Mobility, said the city’s crews are well prepared for the first signs of winter.
“We’ve been preparing for this for at least a few weeks now. We have crews getting their equipment ready, they’re getting the work plans ready, they’re applying anti-icing and materials to those trouble spots like bridges and hills and intersections.”
McGeachy is expecting a “normal snowfall” and said while he’s confident the city’s crews will be able to effectively clear streets, drivers should take care and give themselves more time to reach their destinations.
“We’re no longer in those dry weather conditions, so when you head out on your commute, you might notice a little more slick conditions.”
When the snow begins to fall, McGeachy said the city focuses primarily on major routes such as Crowchild Trail and Glenmore Trail.
“I think we all acknowledge it’s very difficult to predict the weather. So we just try to manage it the best we can and remind people that we live in a winter city, so just be prepared for winter weather.”
Source : CBC