Heavy snowfall is expected overnight Wednesday and continuing into Thursday, with some areas forecasted to see up to 20 centimeters.
Environment Canada is advising those traveling in the Calgary area to allow for extra time and to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions and poor visibility.
Highway 2 and parts of Highway 1, particularly west of Calgary, are expected to be affected.
Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Alysa Pederson said forecasting the exact amount of snowfall expected overnight and into Thursday is “pretty tricky.”
“It could end up being a banded situation, which is similar to what we had last week on Wednesday, when Highway 1 and the north side of Calgary got the snow, and the south side didn’t,” she said.
“It could end up in a situation where there’s highly localized, intense snowfall amounts. Everyone should probably get about five centimeters at minimum, but there could be localized amounts, on a north-south band moving through the city, of closer to 15 to 20.”
Temperatures near zero degrees on Thursday could limit snowfall accumulation, and conditions are expected to improve by Thursday evening.
Any residual snow is likely to melt over the weekend, with sun and above-zero temperatures expected starting Friday.
Calgary typically sees its highest snowfall in March with an average of 23.8 centimeters, with April coming in at a close second with 22.9 centimeters.
“As we warm up in the spring, warmer air can hold more moisture,” Pederson said. “In the winter when we’re minus 20 — super fine crystals. In the springtime, we get those bigger flakes.”
April also tends to see more rainfall as temperatures rise, with total precipitation averaging at 29.6 centimeters, though this month southern Alberta could see higher than average precipitation. Temperatures in April are expected to be consistent with or slightly above the monthly average.
Though activities like gardening, yardwork and golfing might be slightly delayed this year, Pederson said, springtime precipitation is generally a good thing in advance of southern Alberta’s dry summer climate.
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