The wicked cold that has sat in Alberta over recent days is moving out of the province, but messy weather is coming in its wake with freezing rain warnings issued for some spots Monday morning.
Areas under the freezing rain warning include Lac La Biche, Bonnyville, Fort McMurray, Valleyview, St.Paul, High Prairie, and Grande Prairie.
Meteorologists say freezing rain is expected and can cause slippery conditions. The rain is set to start this morning in Peace River and Grande Prairie and expand eastwards to Cold Lake late this afternoon.
Freezing rain will end this evening in Peace River and by Tuesday morning in Cold Lake, while Fort McMurray will be near the northern edge of the freezing rain band.
“Highway 63 to the south will see freezing rain Monday evening. The city itself should see mostly snow,” the warning added.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways, and parking lots may become icy and slippery, and ECCC says motorists should slow down when driving in slippery conditions. Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance.
Freezing rain warnings are issued when rain falling in sub-zero temperatures creates ice build-up and icy surfaces.
While we are on the topic of weather, we also got the scoop from ECCC on how the December forecast for Alberta is shaping up. One major takeaway from it — be sure to keep that snow shovel handy!