Residents in the industrial heartland woke up to quite a surprise on Monday (Oct. 23) morning – snow in October.
This comes just a week after temperatures were in the 20s, with no end to the cold weather in sight, according to our forecast.
With this, the RCMP have released a series to tips to help drive safer during the colder months, where road conditions can become quite difficult to navigate through.
“Some drivers are unprepared for the annual transition from the dry pavement of summer to winter driving conditions that can include snow and slush covered highways, black ice and blizzards,” said Constable Cheri-Lee Smith with the Leduc RCMP. “This first snowfall is a reminder and an opportunity to get prepared for winter driving, which means preparing our vehicles and adjusting our driving.”
Some of these tips for winter driving include:
- Keep your headlights on all of the time
- Ensure your vehicle is in a safe mechanical condition
- Never use cruise control in winter conditions
- It is not recommended to travel in winter conditions if your vehicle is equipped with summer tires
- On a wet or slick surface, allow yourself at least three times the normal following distance to stop
- Remember that bridge decks may be slippery even when other parts of the highway are not
Police also suggest keeping an emergency road kit in your vehicle, which should include supplies such as blankets, non-perishable food, booster cables, an ice scraper, and a shovel.
Officers also suggest that drivers make sure their cell phones are fully charged in the case of an emergency.
Although the snow is expected to end on Monday night, temperatures in the negatives are expected for the rest of the week.
