Quickly-changing weather has led to treacherous roads the past few days in and around Medicine Hat. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

‘Drive to the conditions’: Medicine Hat police at 25 accidents in two days

Dec 28, 2022 | 4:00 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Snow and -30 C temperatures before Christmas, a quick warm-up and melting over the weekend and then freezing rain and more snow the past couple of days.

It’s all added up to a treacherous week on the slippery roads in and out of Medicine Hat.

“Don’t be on the road unless you have to,” urges Sgt. Stacey Fishley of the Medicine Hat Police Service traffic unit. “But when you do get on the road, take your time, slow down and just be careful of everyone else around you, besides just your driving, because everyone else is going through the same thing.”

“Drive to the conditions so then that way you know that you’re going to be safe and everyone else on the roadways going to be safe.”

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City police have responded to 25 collisions in the past two days. Fishley says 23 were regular run-of-the-mill collisions while two were hit-and-runs. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

Fishley says the weather, road conditions and drivers are all factors in the havoc on city streets, and people need to consider all of those before venturing out in a vehicle or even on foot.

“Slow down and be safe out there. That’s all I can say.”

READ MORE: Snow and freezing temperatures make for a poor travel day

Outside the city, 511 Alberta reports at 4 p.m. Wednesday that most highways in the area are partly covered in snow and ice. Highway 41 from Schuler up to Oyen is covered in snow and ice.

To the east, Saskatchewan Highway Hotline reports “winter conditions exist” from the Alberta boundary to Gull Lake along Highway 1. The stretch from Gull Lake to Mortlach is designated as “travel not recommended.”

Highway 21 from the Trans-Canada Highway north to Leader is closed, as are highways 321 and 371 from Highway 21 to the Alberta boundary.