The first winter storm of the season walloped the area last Tuesday evening and throughout the day on Wednesday, with reports of snowfall ranging from 10 to 30 centimetres of snow in this northeastern part of the province.
Dan Kulak, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment Canada, said that the storm came in from the southwest through southern Alberta, up alongside the Saskatchewan border to north and central Alberta and “spun around there for the good part of the day,” rather than moving away. “The combination of intensity and duration equals accumulation,” said Kulak with a laugh, noting that accumulation varied, with Lac La Biche and High Prairie reporting 20 and 30 cm of snowfall just as of Dec. 15 morning, with snow continuing through the day. Cold Lake’s weather station reported 13.8 cm of snow for Dec. 15, translating into 9.5 mm of rainfall, while St. Paul’s recordings ranged from 10 to 20 centimetres of snow. Public works crews for the town and county of St. Paul were working 16 to 18 hour days from Wednesday onwards through the week to get the roads cleared.
While the conditions might have made for some white-knuckle driving and some people stuck in ditches or snowdrifts, some people rejoiced over the whiteout conditions.
“If you’re a cross-country skier or a tow truck operator, you’re happy,” said Kulak.
Ralph Wright, soil moisture specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, notes there hadn’t been a lot of snowfall in this part of northeast Alberta as of Dec. 13. “Before this event, your snow packs were a little low to normal. This should put you at least to normal, so that’s good,” he said, noting more snowfall through the season will help recharge reservoirs, dugouts and lakes come spring.
Due to the snow and poor driving conditions, about half of St. Paul Education Regional Division did not run on Dec. 15, said Doug Fedoruk, director of Transportation and Facilities.
“What happened was a lot of drivers started out with good intentions. Once they got out on the roads, they realized that certain places weren’t safe,” he said, adding that in those situations, parents were called and told those buses would not run. To ensure safety in the midst of continued snowfall through the day, the division had all buses leave schools by 2:30 p.m. so drivers were travelling in daytime hours, said Fedoruk.
Northern Lights School Division cancelled its school buses for all its communities, including Glendon, Lac La Biche, Cold Lake and Bonnyville. “This is the first time in a long time that buses have actually been cancelled because of snow and bad weather,” said Nicole Garner, communications officer for NLSD, explaining that typically, frigid conditions are responsible for bus cancellations, which is true for SPERD as well.
Some Christmas concerts at area schools, such as Ecole Mallaig, did have to be rescheduled as a result of the inclement weather.
Dale Hedrick, owner and operator of Hedrick Auto & Towing and the Alberta Motor Association contractor for the St. Paul area, received twice as many SOS calls as usual on Dec. 15. “I left at three-o-clock in the morning and I didn’t get home until 11-o-clock last night,” he said on Thursday morning, noting several calls came from people who ran into trouble on Highway 881. He estimated he pulled at least 10 people out of ditches, and that he had to make half a dozen tows.
But Hedrick was philosophical about the conditions, saying, “It’s just another storm. As soon as it storms, people forget how to drive.”
Based on his experience as an AMA operator, Hedrick’s words of advice are straightforward: “When the road conditions are bad, if you don’t have to go anywhere, don’t, and if you do, slow down.”
