Stuck cars, treacherous roads as snowstorm grips Prairies

EDMONTON — Old Man Winter made a nasty comeback across the Prairies on Tuesday, with bone-chilling temperatures and heavy snow that led to treacherous roads and stuck cars.

Environment Canada said upwards of 40 centimetres was expected to slam the Edmonton area before ending later in the day. Forecasters also warned of significant impacts to rush-hour traffic.

During a dicey morning commute, cars were caught in snow drifts. In some parts of the city, vehicles couldn’t make it up steep hills.

City crews were deployed to dig people out. Schools remained open, but several flights out of the city’s airport were delayed or cancelled.

Across other parts of Alberta, RCMP told drivers to avoid unnecessary travel as weather conditions made some roads treacherous, with others virtually “impassible.”

Later Tuesday, Mounties issued a ban on tow trucks for the main highway going south from Edmonton to Red Deer. There were reports of crashes and stalled vehicles, police said.

“Blowing and drifting snow is causing reduced visibility and dangerous driving conditions that make tow operations too dangerous,” police said in a statement.

The storm hit the region after some relatively mild weather.

Parts of Saskatchewan were also under a snowfall warning, with an area stretching from Prince Albert to Estevan expected to receive up to 35 centimetres of snow by Thursday.

The weather agency also warned of wind gusts near 70 kilometres an hour.

Mounties east of Saskatoon reported a number of vehicles in the ditch on a highway stretching from Watson to Raymore. There was also a semi across the highway, they said.

Both Regina and Saskatoon said their crews would be out clearing roads.

Up to 20 centimetres was also expected in southern and western Manitoba. In a news release, the City of Winnipeg said crews were standing by.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2026.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press