Multiple crashes on Calgary roads as weather takes a turn
Upward of five centimetres of snow fell in Calgary early Friday morning and officials said at that time that conditions were good, but the situation deteriorated later on Friday, leading to plenty of crashes and road closures.
Calgary police told CTV News that between midnight and 8:30 a.m., they were called to 24 crashes (five that involved injuries and 19 that did not) as well as four hit-and-runs. Between 8:30 and noon, those statistics jumped to 63 crashes, which included five injury-related incidents.
One of those incidents caused a major back-up on Calgary's ring road, police say.
It's not known if there are any injuries involved in that crash, but the city and pollice say the scene was cleared at just after 1 p.m.
By the next update from police, the total number of crashes had climbed to more than 100.
The City of Calgary was working to keep up with the white stuff coming down.
"Our crews have been out responding since it started last night. They've done a great job. With the breaks in the snow, it's been nice. We've been able to get into some of the secondary routes as well as taking care of the major routes," said Chris Hewitt, manager of mobility maintenance for the city.
In the meantime, conditions outside the city of Calgary weren't much better.
RCMP attended the scene of a serious crash on the QEII Highway near the Carstairs exit.
Multiple vehicles - up to 30 - were involved in that incident, which brought the highway to a halt for hours. One person was injured.
City streets and highways surrounding Calgary continued to be treacherous in many spots Friday night.
The QEII north of Calgary closed again.
Airdrie RCMP and other emergency crews responded to the QEII at Township Road 285 near Crossfield just before 7 p.m.
The northbound lanes were blocked off because of a multi-vehicle collision.
RCMP said a semi truck jackknifed and five other vehicles were involved, but no serious injuries were reported.
511 Alberta said that stretch of highway remained covered with snow in some sections, with blowing snow, ice and slush.
Visibility was described as "fair."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pennsylvania chocolate plant blast kills 5, leaves 6 missing
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania Friday killed two people and left nine people missing, authorities said.

Ukraine says battle for Bakhmut is 'stabilizing'
The top commander of Ukraine's military said Saturday that his forces are pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
Trump rallying supporters in Waco ahead of possible charges
Staring down a possible indictment, a defiant Donald Trump is hoping to put on a show of force Saturday as he holds the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
'Everything is interwoven': Trudeau and Biden vow continued Canada-U.S. collaboration during historic visit
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Asylum seeker deal between U.S. and Canada won't stop drama at border, advocates say
The new asylum seeker agreement between Canada and the United States will not deter migrants from trying to cross into Canada outside official ports of entry, Quebec immigration advocacy groups say.
Scientists say they've solved the mystery of cigar-shaped comet 'Oumuamua
Scientists now say they know outerspace object ‘Oumuamua is, and the answer is more simple than some previous theories have suggested.
'A riot of colours' and 'stunning views' can be found in Canada's national parks. Here's where to go this summer
This past week, Parks Canada opened up its reservation system for the 2023 season, offering places to stay, hikes to take and national historic sites to visit across the country. According to three experts, here's where to travel this summer.
Incredible photos show northern lights dancing across much of Canada
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.
W5 | Comedian Russell Peters doesn't pull punches in climate of 'cancel culture,' 'political correctness'
CTV W5 speaks with members of the comedy industry, including Russell Peters, for a wide-ranging look at how political correctness and 'cancel culture' has changed the world of stand-up comedy.