Extreme cold, snowfall warnings issued for large parts of Alberta
15 cm of snow expected across central, southern Alberta Wednesday
Large portions of Alberta are under weather warnings as winter descends over the province.
A snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada at 4 a.m. MT Wednesday said Edmonton and central and southern Alberta can expect as much as 15 centimetres of snow this morning. Snow is expected to taper off this evening.
An extreme cold warning is in effect for all of northern Alberta. Temperatures will moderate later today.
Temperatures are expected to hover around –17 C in Edmonton and –14 C in Calgary today.
Wind chill will make it feel like –28 in Edmonton and –23 in Calgary.
By Saturday the capital region can expect to see temperatures around –5 C while Calgary will see highs of around 6 C.
Edmonton declared its Phase 1 parking ban for major roads so it can start clearing accumulated snow. The ban starts Thursday at 7 a.m.
During a Phase 1 ban, crews clear major arterial roads, bus routes, collector roads and roads within business improvement areas, including all roadways with seasonal "no parking" signs.
WATCH | Love it or hate it, wind chill is real:
Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Justin Shelley said the cold temperatures will ease by Christmas.
"We have been under sort of an Arctic ridge of high pressure which has led to these colder temperatures being experienced in the Edmonton region and across the province," Shelley said in an interview.
"We're going to see, in the upper levels of the atmosphere, an upper ridge which is going to bring a warmer air mass into the region.… By the end of the week, that Arctic ridge is going to be into the eastern Prairies."
An Alberta clipper is what's responsible for the snow in the capital region on Wednesday, according to Shelley.
"With the snow tapering off later overnight and ending by tomorrow morning," he said.
WATCH | What is an Alberta clipper?
