Hundreds of collisions and some power outages were reported after a snow squall hit Edmonton and central Alberta Thursday.
In the afternoon and evening on Thursday, heavy winds blew through Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan, prompting blowing snow advisories.
Road conditions were described by RCMP as “extremely bad” and people were advised to stay off the roads.
On Thursday, 149 collisions were reported to Edmonton’s Collision Reporting Centres.
Between 12 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday, RCMP responded to 149 collisions across the province.
Of those, 71 were in the central Alberta district, with three involving injuries. RCMP expect the numbers to grow as reports come in to detachments.
“When it is advised to not travel, please take this advice,” RCMP wrote in a news release.
“You are not only putting your own life at risk, but also risking other lives, including all first responders. Please drive responsibly and safely.”
Whiteout conditions were reported on several highways on social media, including Highway 2A between Leduc and Wetaskiwin, Highway 814 east of Millet, between Camrose and Edmonton, and on Highway 12 west of Gadsby.
Jackknifed semis also blocked traffic on both Highway 16 at Anthony Henday Drive and Highway 2 south of Edmonton.
The storm is also being blamed for power outages in several areas of the province.
Rocky Mountain House, Spruce Grove and Sundre and Drayton Valley area residents were hit the hardest, according to Fortis Alberta.
Crews were being mobilized in Nisku, Whitecourt and Okotoks to support local resources. The restoration time for “the majority of outages” is 1 p.m.
The province ended the hazardous roads condition advisory as the “severe weather has improved and dangerous highway conditions are subsiding,” just after 6 a.m. Friday.
Light snow is expected to return to the Edmonton area in the late afternoon and early evening, according to CTV News Edmonton Meteorologist Josh Classen.
“Depending on timing, blowing snow could be an issue for the commute home today,” Classen said.
“It won’t be anything like Thursday’s storm, when we had gusts in the 60-70 km/h range.”
This weekend temperatures are also expected to dip into the -20 to -30 C range.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Craig Ellingson
