Calgary police warn of winter driving conditions as collisions close roadways

Winter’s back in Calgary and the heavy snow has been making getting around the city a challenge.

Just after 11 a.m., a collision on southbound Deerfoot Trail N.E. at Airport Trail N.E. blocked the left hand lane but was cleared within the hour.

a serious multi-vehicle collision occurred on the QE II about 65 kilometres north of Calgary, immediately east of Carstairs, closing northbound lanes.

Just before noon, northbound Stoney Trail N.E. was closed between 16 Avenue N.E. and McKnight Boulevard N.E. due to a crash.

Other crashes were reported throughout the city.

“The weather has created winter driving conditions. If you do not need to be on the roads today, we are recommending that you do not travel,” the Calgary Police Service said.

City snow crews were out early after between three to five centimetres fell around Calgary by 7 a.m.

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The City of Calgary said crews started clearing priority routes early in the morning, putting down material to help with traction where needed.

Crews were also clearing pedestrian infrastructure, downtown cycle tracks, business routes in the downtown core and at LRT stations. The city did not anticipate needing to declare a snow route parking ban.

Temperatures are expected to drop throughout Friday and into Saturday, bringing more wintery weather with it.

“It’s the polar vortex moving in,” Global Calgary weather anchor Jodi Hughes said.

“As this preciptiation lands on surfaces and we see these temperatures continue to decline, this means it’s going to freeze, our surfaces will freeze,” Hughes said. “So underneath whatever snowfall we are going to get, we will have icy conditions in many locations.”

She warned the icy conditions will likely be seen on roads, parking lots and sidewalks.