Calgary snow and wind: about 2 cm, gusts to 80 km/h

This story will be updated as conditions change. Last checked 7:45 a.m. MT, Oct. 23, 2026.

Calgary woke up to wet snow and strong wind on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, but Environment Canada expects only about two centimetres of local snowfall, with the snow ending near noon. The bigger concern is the wind: the forecast calls for north winds of 50 km/h gusting to 80 km/h, slushy roads on the city’s northern edge and a drop to minus 4 C overnight. There was no weather warning for the city itself as of 7 a.m. MT.

Environment Canada’s Calgary forecast, updated at about 7 a.m. MT, said rain would change to snow this morning before ending near noon and clearing. The temperature was 0.5 C with light snow at 7 a.m., and the agency forecast a high of plus 5 C, a low of minus 4 C tonight and a wind chill near minus 10 overnight. Saturday is expected to be mainly sunny with a high of plus 2 C, and Sunday cloudy with a high of minus 1 C, according to the Environment Canada forecast for Calgary.

Wind warnings are in effect east and northeast of the city. Environment Canada issued them at 5:05 a.m. MT for areas including Rocky View County near Chestermere, Dalroy and Dalemead, Rocky View County near Irricana and Beiseker, Wheatland County near Strathmore, Lyalta, Carseland and Gleichen, Foothills County near Blackie, Kneehill County near Three Hills, and the Medicine Hat and Brooks areas. The agency said northwesterly gusts of up to 90 km/h would develop this morning and ease this evening, that local utility outages are possible and that high-sided vehicles will be pushed around by the wind.

On the highways, Alberta 511 reported Highway 2 from the Calgary city limits to north of Highway 2A as partly snow-covered at 6:38 a.m., with blowing snow, slush and slippery sections. Farther north, between Highway 2A and south of Bowden, the road was partly snow-covered with icy sections, drifting snow and poor visibility at 7:37 a.m. Deerfoot Trail through the city was bare and wet with snow and rain falling as of 5:44 a.m., and the Trans-Canada Highway west of Calgary toward Canmore was bare and wet, with snow and rain reported near Old Banff Coach Road. The Highway 2 corridor near Red Deer was also partly snow-covered with slush and shoulder ice early Friday, according to 511 Alberta.

The City of Calgary told CTV News Calgary that crews treat roads ahead of snowfall and keep working while it falls, with just over 100 city-owned snowplows available this winter. Chris Hewitt, the city’s manager of mobility maintenance, said the city is preparing for two to five centimetres of snow over the weekend, and that even a couple of centimetres can make roads slippery. Crowchild Trail, Glenmore Trail and Anderson Road are first in line, followed by major community roads and transit routes, and the city aims to finish priority routes within 36 hours after snow stops falling. Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail are cleared by the province, via CTV News Calgary.

Calgary Police had not released a collision count for the morning commute as of publication. Drivers in a collision with no injuries can report it to police online or at a collision reporting centre rather than waiting at the scene. Neither the Calgary Board of Education nor the Calgary Catholic School District had posted any weather closure on its website as of 7:40 a.m.

The city is asking drivers to leave extra time, increase following distance and give snowplows and sanding trucks room to work. Transit riders can check service alerts from Calgary Transit, and travellers flying out of YYC Calgary International Airport should check their flight status with their airline before leaving home. Power outages in Calgary can be checked or reported on the ENMAX outage page or by calling 403-514-6100. Anyone who sees a downed power line should stay well back and call 911.

Heavier snow is falling in northeastern Alberta, where Environment Canada has snowfall warnings in effect for the Fort McMurray area and parts of Wood Buffalo, with 10 to 15 centimetres expected through Saturday. Last weekend, a wind warning brought gusts of 90 km/h to southwestern Alberta, and forecasters have said a strong El Niño points to a mild start to winter in the West. Our Canada winter forecast for 2026-27 has the outlook for each region.

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