CALGARY — A warming centre has been set up for the hundreds of people stranded for up to 13 hours by bad weather on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary.
Roads and highways in and around the city Tuesday were covered in heavy, wet snow — with more falling overnight.
Parts of Calgary reported snowfall amounts of up to 40 centimetres in a 12-hour period with similar amounts in the mountain parks and other areas of southern Alberta.
People were being urged to stay home and cautioned to keep off of roads.
Canmore RCMP say the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary was closed Tuesday in both directions near Dead Man's Flats.
The westbound lanes opened around 6:20 a.m. but the eastbound lanes remain closed.
Vehicles were in the ditches and highway crews and tow trucks were trying to clear them out.
Police escorted stranded motorists to the warming centre at the Canmore high school early this morning.
Part of the main highway between Calgary and Edmonton was also closed overnight due to a multi-vehicle crash involving more than 20 vehicles.
Didsbury RCMP said it was a fatal collision.
The Olds Fire Department said Highway 2 needed to be closed in both directions near Carstairs, about 50 kilometres north of Calgary.
The crash happened shortly after 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and the road didn't open again until 5 a.m.
In Calgary, 59 sanders and 22 graders hit the streets to start clearing the major roadways after the heavy snowfall.
Officials said about 74 operators and 40 pieces of equipment were added to Calgary's existing resources from Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks and Medicine Hat.
They asked motorists to use caution on the roads or even stay home until this afternoon if possible.
