Major snowstorm strands vehicles on Highway 63 near Fort McMurray
RCMP warn against all travel on the highway as crews work to clear multiple blockages and up to 30 cm of snow falls.
FORT MCMURRAY · A major snowstorm has stranded numerous vehicles on Highway 63 near Fort McMurray, prompting RCMP to warn drivers against travel in either direction. Environment Canada has doubled its snowfall forecast for the area to between 20 and 30 centimetres. The storm has caused multiple blockades along the critical northern highway, including stuck semis and buses. Police have not provided an estimate for when normal traffic flow might resume as crews work to clear the road.
RCMP Const. Sandra Geiger said winter driving conditions are obviously in play. She told CBC News that officers are encountering impassable roads and that tow truck response times for stranded drivers could be slow. Police first warned of a potential several-hour blockage on the highway just after 7:15 a.m. Saturday. By 8:45 a.m., they were advising against all travel on Highway 63 in both directions due to multiple standstills and also requested people avoid driving within the city of Fort McMurray.
The Alberta 511 traffic map showed widespread issues along the corridor. On Supertest Hill, semis, buses and other vehicles blocked northbound traffic. A jackknifed semi was reported blocking all lanes at a location north of Fort McMurray. Other vehicles were stuck near Mariana Lake and approximately 40 kilometres further north.
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Travel is not recommended on Highway 63 from Mariana Lake to just north of the Highway 881 junction. Highway 881, the only other major route south from the region, also has travel not advised for most of its length, leaving few safe exit options. Weather conditions are severe, with the Fort McMurray Airport station recording northwest winds gusting to 52 km/h and visibility of only 600 metres. Stronger gusts and blowing snow are expected throughout the day, making driving hazardous.
Environment Canada expects another five to 10 centimetres of snow before it begins to ease Saturday evening. The forecast totals will vary, and drifting snow will create worse conditions in some areas. Highway 63 is a vital economic corridor for northern Alberta, used by oilsands workers, freight trucks and families. Its closure disrupts shift changes, delays deliveries and strands travellers in remote areas where assistance can be slow to arrive.
A similar spring storm in April shut down the highway, forcing many motorists to spend the night in their vehicles. Const. Geiger said the current situation has not reached that level of severity. Snow is forecast to taper off around Fort McMurray Saturday evening, with overnight lows near -8°C. Sunday should see clearing skies with a high near -1°C. Further south, Calgary experienced wet snow during the Friday morning commute, while the mountain areas around Canmore received their first significant snow of the season. Edmonton had a mix of rain and wet flakes Friday but remained dry on Saturday.
With files from Culture Alberta