Edmonton parking ban paused due to extreme weather conditions

EDMONTON -

Edmonton's Phase 2 residential snow clearing, and the parking ban that comes with it, are paused due to the extreme cold gripping the city.

The pause of all non-essential snow and ice-clearing work took effect Dec. 31. 

“The current temperatures present a significant risk to employees, equipment and contracted equipment,” read a notice on the city’s website.

Phase 2 parking bans come into place so city crews can clear residential and industrial roads. When one is in effect, drivers can’t park on those roads, until they have been cleared, or in residential alleys.

“We’re probably going to be going in once we see a break in the temperature next week,” said Andrew Grant, the city's general supervisor of Infrastructure Field Operations, Parks and Roads Services.

“It’s just the logical thing to do when we’re working in these temperatures.”

In addition to city snow clearing equipment, the cold also shut down ski hills in Edmonton.

Snow Valley and Rabbit Hill announced they would be closed until Friday at the earliest, Sunridge was also closed Tuesday and the Edmonton Ski Club is closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Most of Alberta is currently under an extreme cold warning.