‘Tis the season for hope spring has finally arrived — only for us to be reminded this is, after all, Alberta, and winter is not yet released its grip on the province.
Environment Canada said wintry travel conditions will return between Wednesday and Friday.
Heavy wet snow will begin Wednesday night over parts of west-central Alberta, including for Grande Prairie, Whitecourt and Edson, the national weather agency said.
On Thursday morning, Environment Canada said snow will intensify across the middle of the province, including the Edmonton area.
South of Edmonton, including Red Deer and areas east in central Alberta, rain mixed with freezing rain is possible before transitioning to snow Thursday afternoon.
Snowfall amounts of five to 20 cm is forecast by Friday morning across central Alberta, with higher accumulations of 25 cm possible near the Rocky Mountains and over areas northwest of Edmonton, such as near Grande Prairie.
Global Edmonton weather specialist Phil Darlington noted Edmonton may receive a mix of rain and snow, up to 10 or so cm.
But – given the warm temperatures to start the week and uncertainty in how fast the snow will fall, Environment Canada said confidence in total snowfall accumulations is moderate.
So buckle up Alberta, and don’t swap our your tires quite yet — third winter is on the way.