Snow tapers off after dozens of crashes during Monday morning commute

Edmonton's first snowfall of the season saw between one and three centimetres blanket the city on Monday. 

The snow started in the early morning and tapered off around noon.

• Josh Classen's forecast: Snow moves out, cold air stays

The city mobilized its snow crews around midnight to apply traction material to roads and active pathways. 

Throughout the day, 500 people – including operators for 70 tandem plows and sanders – would be working, the city estimated. 

"It's a winter city so give the trucks room to work and give yourself a few extra minutes getting to work or wherever you're going today," said Val Dacyk, the City of Edmonton's general supervisor of infrastructure field operations. "The road conditions will go up and down throughout the day depending on the weather so just make sure you're driving cautiously."

CRASH COUNT

The arrival of winter conditions caused some chaos on the road; 193 crashes were reported by 3:40 p.m. to Accident Support Services International, which operates the city's new reporting centres. Twenty-seven of the crashes resulted in injuries.

A tire shop in west Edmonton received between 300 to 400 calls on Monday to change to winter tires, its owner said. 

"[It] hasn't been boring," Neal Shymko said.

"There are some proactive people out there. Not a lot, but some."

Areas west and south of the capital city received more snow than the capital city. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a snowfall warning for much of central and southern Alberta, forecasting as much as 15 centimetres of snow. 

Road conditions are believed to have been a factor in a school bus rollover near Didsbury, north of Calgary, Monday morning. Five children and one adult were hospitalized because of the incident.