Heavy snow and blowing winds turned portions of Highway 43 into a skating rink Thursday, with RCMP responding to numerous collisions. The most serious incident appeared to be on Two Creek Hill, which brought traffic to a complete standstill earlier this afternoon.
Numerous vehicles were reported in the ditch, including a semi-truck with its cab completely destroyed. There is no word on injuries at this time.
A video circulating on social media showed a driver stepping out of his car and “skating” across the pavement, demonstrating just how icy the highway had become as fresh, blowing snow was polished into a massive sheet of black ice. There isn’t much help on the horizon with more snow in the forecast and the commute into Edmonton Friday morning could be a challenge.
With more snow on the way, highways are expected to remain snow-covered as road crews work to keep them passable.
Our region is heading into another cold snap, with 5 to 10 centimeters of snow expected over the next 48 hours, followed by a week of frigid temperatures. Sunday’s daytime high is projected to be minus 25°C, with a low of minus 33°C. Little improvement is expected for Monday, with a low of minus 31°C.
Seasonal average temperatures for our region typically range from a daytime high of minus 4°C to a low of minus 12°C.
