EDMONTON - Travel along main arterial roads shouldn’t be much of an issue Friday, but getting out of your neighbourhood could be problematic and some area highway conditions remain poor.

Depending on where you live in the metro area, between 20 and 30 cm fell during Thursday’s spring snowstorm. Northwest of Edmonton, Westlock received the most snow — an estimated 40 cm — which proved a factor in a head-on crash that killed three people.

A 23-year-old woman, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy died 85 kilometres north of Westlock on Highway 44, RCMP said. Another woman, a man and a child were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The storm also caused a series of pileups involving up to 100 vehicles on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway near Leduc, closed Anthony Henday Drive in the afternoon, cancelled a Bob Seger concert at Rexall Place, and even caught the attention of baseball’s Jose Canseco.

Shortly before midnight, Ponoka RCMP announced that the QEII had reopened to traffic in both directions.

Police are still trying to sort out whether the Leduc crash — which police say involved 85 to 100 vehicles either directly or indirectly — was the largest pileup in Canadian history. That distinction goes to a Sept. 3, 1999 crash on Highway 401, east of Windsor, involving 87 vehicles. Eight people were killed and 45 were injured in that crash.

“The investigation will take some time to sort out,” Ponoka RCMP traffic services said in a news release late Thursday. The estimate of 85 to 100 vehicles “does not take into account numerous secondary collisions outside the immediate scene.”

Poor roads

A few flurries are in Friday’s forecast, and as of 7 a.m. no collisions were reported within the city.

However, AMA Road Reports tweeted Friday morning that lanes are partially snow covered on the northwest portion of the Henday, but plowing continues. “Please give them room to work.

The AMA also retweeted Friday that Highway 39 between Leduc and Calmar is “a skating rink,” with most vehicles travelling at 50 km/h.

With more than a week left in March and a snow depth of 49 cm, Edmonton could break a snowfall record for the month. CTV meteorologist Josh Classen tweeted that “The last time we had 50’ish cm on the ground in March was: 1997 & 84 - 53cm snowdepth.” A record 84 cm fell throughout March 1974.

Friday morning, the City of Edmonton tweeted that their snow storage facility at 185th Street and 107th Avenue would be closed until noon because of volume. Other locations remain open.

Poor road conditions continue to be a factor outside the city Friday, as Lac La Biche RCMP advised against travelling on the following highways: 63, 881, 55, 663 and 858. School bus cancellations for Friday include St. Paul rural, Barrhead, Westlock and Swan Hills.

Where’s spring?

Standing in downtown Edmonton on Thursday evening, Adrijana Kurnjicki looked up at the sky, and expressed what many in the city had been feeling all day.

“Where is all this coming from?” she asked, as snowflakes fell onto the hood of her parka. “It’s supposed to be spring.”

Laura McNabb, spokeswoman for roadway maintenance with the City of Edmonton, said crews would be working throughout the night to clear city roads and bridges, but that commuters should still expect winter driving conditions Friday morning.

“If the snowfall stopped, it would be far better,” McNabb said. “It’s a lot of snow. Our guys are doing their best to get the snow off the road and lay down abrasives.”

McNabb said the city’s entire fleet — more than 200 pieces of equipment — would be clearing streets throughout the night, with up to 85 or 90 contract graders joining in.

Crews were to attempt to ease the morning commute by focusing on arterial roads, bus routes, bridge decks, and river valley hills, but McNabb said people should still double their expected commute time.

Neighbourhood blading is continuing and although there will be some delays, it should be completed by Monday. To find out when thew plows will be in your neighbourhood, go to www.edmonton.ca/snowremoval or call 311 after noon Friday for updates.

Edmonton Transit buses may also be behind schedule Friday because of road and weather conditions.

Fatal crash

The Westlock crash happened about 11 a.m., when a northbound truck collided with a southbound car. The three dead and two of the injured were in the car.

The man driving the truck, also seriously injured, was charged with three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. Poor road conditions near Leduc played a part in a chain reaction of collisions that saw more than 100 people injured Thursday, and others were stuck for hours along the closed highway. A truck carrying 74 head of cattle was involved in one of the crashes. News of the highway pileup prompted a tweet from Canseco, the former Major League Baseball player, who wrote: “my heart goes out to the hundreds hurt in leduc.”

The Henday and other roads and highways that had been closed began reopening as the snow let up in the afternoon and early evening.

The storm also led to the cancellation of a Rexall Place concert by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, with the concert promoter announcing on Thursday afternoon that the show had been postponed “due to extreme weather conditions and road closures.”

Ticket holders were advised to hold on to their tickets until a new date is chosen for the show.

The storm was so bad that diners even cancelled reservations at Corso 32 on Jasper Avenue, opening up tables at Edmonton’s hardest-to-get-into restaurant.

Busy day for airport

Emergency services were also busy throughout the day and evening, with collisions, stuck cars and buses, falls and other snow-related mishaps.

The storm happened on one of the busiest days of the year at Edmonton International Airport, when spring break travel makes the airport almost as busy as Christmas. But airport spokeswoman Traci Bednard said flights were operating for people who were able to make it to the airport Thursday, and air travel was not expected to be significantly affected Friday.

The road cleanup from the storm is expected to take three days or longer.McNabb said residential blading may also be delayed, and residents can call 311 or check the schedule for their neighbourhood at the City of Edmonton website.

Waiting for her bus in downtown Edmonton on Thursday, Barb Weir admitted she was feeling “a little bit not happy” with the wintry weather at what is supposed to be the beginning of spring.

“It’s beautiful, I love the snow, but at this time of year it’s enough,” she said, “I’m glad to be going home, but wishing my bus would come.”

More to come …

jpruden@edmontonjournal.com

twitter.com/@jana_pruden