Wednesday’s snowfall was not as crippling as November’s near-record single-day dump, but the Arctic temperatures that followed are creating slick conditions.
The city got between 11 and 13 centimetres of snow over the span of three to four hours Wednesday afternoon as another winter storm socked the city, said public works director Dan Rites.
That total pales in comparison to the 35 centimetres that fell in 10 hours Nov. 7, which paralyzed the city, shut down St. Albert Transit and led to the city plowing residential streets for the first time in 2012. Combined, however, Rites said the city has seen more snow in this period than is typical of years past.
“I would say we’re definitely high for the November-December period. November-wise, those 35 centimetres were higher than we usually do,” Rites said. He added the city has also had to plow more than usual as a result.
While Wednesday’s snowfall was not heavy enough to warrant another residential clearing, crews were immediately dispatched to the city’s arterial roads. Those were quickly cleared, said Rites, and plows were next dispatched to collector roads. Those were finished as of Friday and crews are now working in commercial areas and parking lots, as well as cleaning up some accumulated snow piles.
“We’re nowhere close to (residential snow removal),” Rites said. “I think a lot of that, the decision to go ahead with that previously bought us some time.”
Also unlike November’s snowfall, crews have had less trouble clearing ice from roads. There was less moisture in Wednesday’s storm, Rites said, but the cold temperatures are creating problems when it comes to clearing what ice there is. Temperatures pushing minus 20 C mean the salt the city uses is less likely to activate.
“We’ve put down a little rock chip to try and gain that traction, but as soon as the temperatures go up, (the salt) will be a little more effective,” Rites said.
Wednesday’s storm caused St. Albert Transit to shorten its commuter routes so they would go only as far as Village Landing because the snowy conditions made it more difficult for the “articulated” buses to navigate residential streets.
Commuter service past Village Landing was reinstated later that afternoon.
