After a mild October, a Calgary ski and snowboard shop is welcoming the heavy snowfall expected Tuesday and Wednesday.
“With it being so nice over the fall, people weren't in the ski mood. They were still out hiking, they were still doing their summer activities,” said Dan Russell, general manager of Ski Cellar Snowboard.
However, with the second major snowfall of the season underway, Russell said more people are turning their attention to winter activities.
“Instantly, it’s winter in Calgary and instantly they’re going ‘oh, I’ve gotta get things going, I’ve gotta get my skis in, I’ve gotta figure out what new we need in boots’ and they’re starting to take inventory of what they need to get skiing,” he told CTV News.
Calgary is expected to get 10 to 12 centimetres of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Areas further south, in the mountains, could see close to 25 or 30 centimetres.
The average snowfall for November is about seven to 12 centimetres, according to CTV weather specialist Ryan Harding.
“We’ll hit our quota in one fall here and actually, this snowfall will be very similar to the first one we did see in October in terms of timing and amounts,” he said.
The blast of snow comes as ski hills race to open for the season.
Banff Sunshine Village is set to open on Thursday, Lake Louise Ski Resort expects to open Friday and Nakiska plans to open Saturday.
“I expect this to be a really good season,” Russell said.
SNOW SAFETY
As the snow falls, city crews will plow and de-ice the through lanes on Priority 1 routes, which are main roads that see 20,000 or more vehicles a day.
As of right now the city does not anticipate the need for a snow route parking ban.
With cooler temperatures in the forecast and the snow sticking around longer, a spokesperson for the city urges people to brush up on any winter driving techniques they parked away over the last few months.
“We just want to remind people to adapt to those conditions. If you’re able, winterize your vehicle, leave plenty of time to get where you need to go and leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front,” said Chris McGeachy with the City of Calgary.
The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) recommends people have an emergency roadside kit in their car with things like booster cables, a flashlight, warm clothes, a blanket, matches and even protein bars.
“Just helps with that peace of mind if you’re heading out towards the mountains or heading out for one of those long drives in winter,” said Ryan Lemont, manager of driver education at AMA.
Lemont also suggests people keep their gas tank at least half full in case of emergency and to let someone know if they’re driving out of town and when they’ll be back.
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