Heavy snowfall warning issued as southern Alberta digs out from ...

A heavy snowfall warning is in place for much of southern Alberta as the region is still cleaning up the downed trees, broken branches and other damage from an earlier round of heavy, wet snow that blanketed the region Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says a second round of heavy snow is expected to begin overnight and continue through Wednesday with total snowfall amounts of up to 50 centimetres expected over higher terrain.

In Calgary, some areas of higher elevation, such as Nose Hill, could see up to 15 centimetres of snow.

Environment Canada forecasters say “rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult and visibility may suddenly be reduced at times in heavy snow,” and “could make travel difficult over some locations.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, many Calgary residents were still cleaning up from the first blast of winter weather.

Calgarians woke up to a blanket of heavy wet snow on Tuesday (April 30, 2024) with more snow in the forecast.

The precipitation started as rain Monday evening, but eventually turned to snow causing many trees to snap and branches to buckle in some neighbourhoods.

McKenzie Lake resident Rick Murray was up early in the morning to survey the damage.

“Four years ago I had part of an elm tree come down on the roof,” recalled Murray.  “So I was up early this morning watering the tree so it wouldn’t snap.”

Despite the challenge of shoveling such heavy wet snow, Murray is happy for the moisture.  “We need the snow in the mountains to fill up the reservoirs,” said Murray.  “This will help the farmers. This will melt very quickly but I’m happy we got it.  Without the moisture we are going to be in drought conditions and the fires will be bad.”

While the snow stopped falling by mid-Tuesday morning, the city remained under a special weather statement.

“Alberta is seeing the back end of a low-pressure system currently over Saskatchewan that’s wrapping moisture counterclockwise and into Alberta,” says Global Calgary Chief Meteorologist Tiffany Lizée. “We expect wet snow and strong winds to continue for much of the province through to Thursday.  The heaviest snow is still expected west of Calgary.”

As of 9 a.am Tuesday Global Calgary viewers had reported 20-30 centimetres of snow through Kananaskis and Bragg Creek and 45 cm near Nakiska, while a weather station in SE Calgary reported nine cm of snow and 30 mm of moisture.

“Another five to 10 centimetres of heavy, wet snow is possible for Calgary Tuesday night and through Wednesday, along with strong northerly winds up to 50 km/h,” says Lizée.  “Areas west of the city remain under a snowfall warning and could see another 20-30 cm of snow.”

Asked why the snow is so heavy and wet, Lizée says: “spring snow is typically wetter than winter snow because of warmer temperatures at higher elevations. This causes snowflakes to partially melt as they fall and in some cases, like what we saw Tuesday morning, clump together.”

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