Dangerous travel as freezing rain warnings span the Prairies
Dangerous travel is likely across the Prairies as freezing rain and snow blanket the region through Thursday.
Freezing rain and snow-covered roads will make for dangerous travel conditions across the Prairies for the next couple of days.
A slow-moving system traversing the Prairies will bring a disruptive spell of wintry precipitation to the region through Thursday.
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The system will produce widespread accumulating snow through the next few days, while communities like Calgary, Medicine Hat, and Regina could deal with freezing rain that leaves behind a hazardous glaze of ice on exposed surfaces.
Wintry precipitation started the day across the western Prairies as our storm began to spread across the region.
Warmer air running up against the southern side of the system will allow precipitation to fall as freezing rain for sections of the southern Prairies from the Calgary metro area east through Saskatchewan.
The heaviest ice accretion is expected along the corridor between Red Deer and Regina, affecting travel along Highway 9 in Alberta and Highways 4, 7, and 11 in Saskatchewan, including most of the Regina metro area.
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Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a freezing rain warning for the areas expecting ice accretion through Wednesday.
“Road closures are likely,” ECCC said in its warning. “Ice build-up may cause tree branches to break. Utility outages may occur.”
Use extreme caution while travelling through regions expecting freezing rain. Even a thin glaze of ice on roads, sidewalks, or steps can pose a serious risk to motorists and pedestrians alike.
Farther north, precipitation will fall as snow where colder air is locked in place throughout the atmosphere.
Forecasters expect the greatest snow totals to fall over Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where widespread accumulations of 10-20 cm are possible through Thursday. Communities around the Manitoba Lakes could see upwards of 25 cm by the time the system pulls away from the Prairies.
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Check back for the latest on this wintry travel threat on the Prairies.