Heavy snow in Banff and Jasper National Parks may make driving hazardous along the Icefields Parkway on Thursday.
The mountain region is under a snowfall warning, issued in the morning by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Ten to 15 centimetres of snow are expected to fall in the parks, ending by afternoon or evening, the weather authority said.
Both the townsites of Banff and Jasper will see some of the white stuff but most will land in higher elevations.
On the Lake Louise webcam, the hill was dusted with snow shortly before 8 a.m. MT on Thursday. More snow is expected over the day as the region is under a snowfall warning. (Lake Louise Web Cam)
The Icefields Parkway, or Highway 93, in particular is likely to see snow causing problems for travellers. Conditions can deteriorate quickly, the weather authority warned, and snow may reduce visibility suddenly and dramatically at times.
The warning specifically covers:
- Jasper National Park near and south of Sunwapta Falls.
- Jasper townsite and Pocahontas.
- Banff National Park near Banff townsite.
- Lake Louise and Saskatchewan River Crossing.
- Clearwater County near Siffleur Wilderness Area.
Webcams in the mountains show the area had already gotten a dusting ahead of Thursday’s expected weather.
Despite it still being summer technically, northwest Calgary and parts of west-central Alberta saw flurries on Wednesday, as well.