In the early morning light, Calgarians found themselves waking to an unexpected chill. A sudden flurry had descended overnight, blanketing the city in snow and plunging temperatures far below the usual seasonal norms.
The evening before had witnessed the onset of freezing rain, which gradually morphed into a downpour of snow, leaving the streets concealed beneath an icy shell.
By the close of Tuesday, the Calgary Police Service had received reports of 273 vehicular collisions due to the hazardous conditions. Of these, 16 had led to injuries.
The city’s transit system too had not been spared by the brutal weather. The Blue Line of the LRT was operational on only a single line heading west towards 69 Street S.W. This disruption was due to a power failure of a CTrain near Crowchild Trail. In an early morning communique, YYC Transportation attributed this outage to the harsh extremity of the weather.
City workers along with Enmax teams had been battling the conditions throughout the morning, striving tirelessly to restore the train to functionality. This incident led to the reduction of Bow Trail, a central artery in the southwest of the city, to two lanes, exacerbating the difficulties for the city’s commuters.
The snowfall affected the flow of traffic throughout the city, with roads leading to the downtown core experiencing significant congestion and sluggish movement.
In their effort to streamline traffic, City of Calgary had employed 55 sanding trucks, assisted by additional contracted crews. They kept vigilant, working round the clock. “From the onset of a storm, we aim to clear the priority one roads within 18 hours,” said city official Chris Hewitt, “After clearing these roads, we move on to larger community roads and bus routes, aspiring to have them cleared within a further 18 hours,” he added.
At Tuesday’s peak, the Alberta Motor Association reported wait times for tow trucks at around 19 hours, with a considerable eight-hour wait for a battery boost service.
However, the storm had not only ravaged Calgary. Areas beyond city limits reported struggling with similar difficulties. 511 Alberta, the provincial agency, particularly advised against travel between Strathmore and Bassano. Areas north also reported dangerous conditions with several crashes, some proving fatal.
As the storm continued, more snow was forecasted for the area. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warned residents of an additional 25 centimetres of snow by the end of Tuesday, advising drivers to exercise caution, particularly in low visibility areas.
