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Calgarians and residents in surrounding areas are bracing for lots of blowing snow and cold temperatures.
The city is now under a blizzard warning and blasting snow is expected to start Sunday night, with the blizzard conditions early Monday morning, with 10 to 15 cms in the forecast.
Strong northerly winds will gust up to 80 km/hr per hour and the temperature will fall to minus-16 Monday, but will feel like minus-26 with the wind chill.
The City of Calgary offers the following tips to drivers during periods of poor road conditions:
Clean snow and ice off your vehicle to ensure your lights and your windows are clear.
Give yourself extra time to reach your destination.
Reduce your speed and turn on your headlights.
Drive defensively.
Leave extra distance between you and the car ahead of you.
When road conditions are difficult consider using Calgary Transit.
Consider delaying your trip until the roads are in better condition.
The heavy snow could also prompt the city to call a city-wide Snow Route parking ban.
If the ban is called, residents will have to remove vehicles for up to 72 hours so plows can get through.
Conditions are also deteriorating in areas away from major roadways. At just before noon, Winsport announced that it would be closing Canada Olympic Park due to the severe weather.
The hill is scheduled to closed at noon on Monday and remain shut down until Tuesday.
Officials say that they made the decision to protect Winsport staff and guests to the facility.
Winsport expects to have the hill reopened on Wednesday.
Many Calgarians are doing best to manage in the winter wallop. “I’m adjusting – it’s cold and I don’t like it,” one said. “The driving is not fun.”
Others say that the wind chill is the worst, with the frigid temperatures cutting right through winter clothing.
It could be worse though, said another in the downtown core. “I always kinda look back and realize there there’s been a lot worse. Maybe that -40 weather? I don’t know what the temperature is now but -13 I think? But that’s not too bad.”
