The City of Edmonton implemented its extreme cold protocols on Friday morning as a brief deep freeze is expected to take hold in Alberta’s capital this weekend.
The city’s extreme weather response was activated at 9 a.m. and is expected to end on Tuesday at 9 a.m. although it could be extended if temperatures warrant it.
While Edmonton’s weather has been mild for most of January, the cold weekend was forecast and the city issued a news release on Thursday to announce its intentions to activate the response.
“The city encourages vulnerable Edmontonians to go to shelters to protect themselves from winter conditions,” city officials said. “Shelters are the safest option because they protect vulnerable Edmontonians from frostbite, loss of limbs and death.”
City libraries and recreation centres will be available for any Edmontonians seeking an escape from the cold, the city said.
If Edmontonians see someone sheltering outside, city officials ask that they call 211 immediately and ask for the crisis diversion team, which is a service that operates 24 hours a day and helps connect people who need it to transportation, shelter and other supports.
For more information on the city’s extreme weather response, people can visit the city’s website.
Snowy weather results in poor road conditions in Edmonton area on Thursday
Thursday saw a snow squall warning be issued for Edmonton and snowy and blustery weather conditions developed at several times throughout.
In a post on social media, Environment and Climate Change Canada described the conditions being felt in parts of northern Alberta as the result of “a strong, fast-moving low-pressure system.”
On Thursday night, the RCMP issued warnings about icy roads with poor visibility in areas to the south and east of Edmonton. Shortly after 11 p.m., Alberta Transportation issued an Alberta Emergency Alert to warn about dangerous driving conditions resulting from the weather in parts of central Alberta, particularly in the Edmonton area.
The alert was lifted just after 6 a.m. on Friday.
On Thursday night, the victim’s family gathered for a vigil held at the intersection where she was hit to pay tribute to her life.
Family members told Global News her name was Amy Tran and that she was a student at Lester B. Pearson High School. They said she was walking home from an exam when she was hit by the SUV.
The RCMP said that between noon Thursday and 8 a.m. on Friday, police received 71 reports of collisions in central Alberta and another 78 in other parts of the province.