Multiple crashes reported on Deerfoot Trail

Vehicles are seen in the southbound ditch after sliding off Deerfoot Trail near 17 Avenue on Nov. 29, 2024. (Supplied)

Calgary police say there are at least three major crashes on Deerfoot Trail on Friday morning as frigid overnight temperatures likely led to icy conditions in many areas.

Between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., Calgary police were called to respond to 47 crashes in the city. Four of those incidents involved injuries and nine were hit-and-runs.

However, with the conditions the way they are, police expect the number of crashes to rise dramatically.

One incident in the northbound lanes of the highway near Airport Trail caused a traffic back up.

Other crashes included a crash in the northbound lanes of Deerfoot Trail near Beddington Trail N.E., northbound Deerfoot near Memorial Drive and northbound Deerfoot Trail near 17 Avenue S.E.

CTV Calgary weather specialist Jodi Hughes said light snow and mist overnight led to icy road conditions throughout Calgary on Friday morning.

"Adding to the equation was a bit of freezing fog overnight from Wednesday to Thursday which deposited a layer of ice onto many roads, sidewalks and parking lots," she said.

"Mist is similar to fog in that it forms when the air temperature and dew point are within two degrees of one another in conditions – allowing the air to become saturated as it sits suspended above the surface."

Hughes said fog is different than mist because it has a greater impact on visibility.

On Friday, with road surfaces already being quite cold, when the mist came in, it helped develop a layer of ice ontop of the light snow.

More details on current traffic incidents can be found on the city's website.