LAKELAND - The Lac La Biche region and much of the Lakeland have experienced a cold and snowy winter week to begin February. Heavy snowfall, ice fog and temperatures that have dropped below -40 degrees Celsius have impacted residents — and the folks assigned to the cleanup.
Brian Shapka, Lac La Biche County’s Infrastructure Services boss, says that there are a lot of resources and manpower needed when it comes to dealing with so much of winter packed into such a shot period.
In total there have been 23 County operators, one contract grader, up to 10 contract trucks for moving snow — upwards of eight inches in one steady downfall that hit the region at the beginning of last week — and one contractor for the ice road plowing, nine graders, eight plow/sand trucks, one Bob Cat, one loader/snow blower, one loader for loading salt and sand materials, and one plow truck at the airport.
Shapka says that along with the heavy machinery, there are also heavy costs every year when winter rolls around.
“Approximately $1.5 million is budgeted for snow and ice control annually,” said Shapka. “This number can vary significantly based on the number of actual snow events.”
While significant snowfall isn't dropping back into the immediate forecast for the region, the cold weather is continuing to hang around. Starting the week, the region was still gripped by an arctic pressure system, forcing weather officials to issue an extreme cold weather warning. The frigid temperatures are expected to break slightly by Thursday of this week, with daytime highs climbing to -18 degrees Celsius.
The extreme cold snap has already forced some school divisions in the region to cancel buses to start the week. The cancellations come after buses were cancelled twice in the previous week due to the excessive snow and cold temperatures.
Check the LakelandToday.ca weather forecast and the news section for updates on the weather and local impacts.