The snowfall that began Monday night (Nov. 4) brought increased roadside assistance wait times to the area.
According to the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) website, the average time for a tow or battery boost in Strathmore is around one hour.
However, Chad Brinston, fleet performance manager with AMA, says that wait times could have been much longer at certain times of the day.
"On a day like today you'll see Calgary rise to about five to six-hour wait times, depending on the kind of volume that comes in," said Brinston. "Strathmore would be a part of that and would have seen wait times of about two hours today."
Brinston says that residents can prevent needing to call for roadside assistance by being proactive rather than reactive. This can include changing to winter tires, replacing batteries, and inspecting fluids before heading out onto winter roads.
"We get requests for roadside every 40 seconds on any given day where you're seeing those extreme cold temperatures, especially when you have snowfall accumulation," added Brinston.
According to Brinston, the most important aspect of winter driving is that drivers slow down while on snowy or icy roads.
"You definitely want to be making sure you're driving to weather conditions. You want to be able to be reactive and driving to the best of your abilities given the circumstances of the weather."
Monday's snowfall brought between two and four centimetres of snow to the area. There have already been several snowfalls in Strathmore this season, but none have lasted longer than a few days.
It's expected to warm up to 4°C on Wednesday.