EDMONTON - Edmonton was blasted by strong winds gusting up to 70 km/h Wednesday, while police advised against travel on numerous roads surrounding the city.
As of 8:00 Wednesday night, Alberta Transportation had closed Highway 41, Highway 12, Highway 13 and Highway 9 in the areas of Czar Oyen and Consort. Officers say the highways have been closed due to zero visibility and extremely high gusting winds.
Lac La Biche RCMP are warning motorists on Highway 881, Highway 36, Highway 55 East, Highway 55 West, Highway 858, and Highway 663 to drive cautiously, as all of the highways have drifting and blowing snow, sections of black ice and reduced visibility.
Police were asking motorists to avoid using Highways 831, 28, 857 and 36 near Smoky Lake because of slick, whiteout conditions, Wednesday afternoon.
Highway 63 in northeast Alberta is also in poor winter driving condition, according to area RCMP.
Vermilion RCMP have issued a similar warning for travel on Highway 16 between Lloydminster and Elk Island National Park because of "extremely poor winter driving conditions, including slippery surface conditions and zero visibility."
Vegreville RCMP say they've received numerous calls of vehicles driving off the roads along Highway 16 and on Secondary Highway 855.
RCMP are also advising against travel on Highway 2A, south of Wetaskiwin, due to reduced visibility and icy road conditions.
Travel in and around St. Albert is not recommended, as officers deal with a number of collisions in the area. RCMP say poor driving conditions are being reported on Ray Gibbon Drive, McKenny Avenue, and Giroux Road due to blowing snow, reduced visibility, and snow covered, icy roads.
Sherwood Park RCMP are advising against travel if necessary. Officers say high winds and blowing snow have made for extreme driving conditions on Highway 16 from Elk Island Park to Edmonton. Roads are covered in ice and visibility is severely reduced in some areas.
In Edmonton, flurries will continue in the afternoon and end in the evening, with the wind from the west at 20 km/h becoming northwest 40 gusting to 70, according to Environment Canada.
A number of warnings were put in place by Environment Canada on Wednesday. For a full list of warnings, visit Environment Canada's website.
Winds from the northwest will drop to 20 km/h becoming light late in the evening. The overnight low is expected to be -12.
The following raw video shows highway conditions northeast of Edmonton, from the Global 1 news helicopter, between 3:30 and 3:45 Wednesday afternoon.
With files from Postmedia News.
© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2013.