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Town pauses snow removal work

Extreme cold puts Westlock crews on ice until Jan. 10
WES - snow removal Jan. 5, 2022
Following work today, Jan. 5, Town of Westlock snow removal crews will be parked until Jan. 10. The town says the pause is needed due to the extreme cold.

WESTLOCK – Town of Westlock snow removal efforts are being paused for five days with the prolonged extreme cold adding “stress on the equipment and machinery” and creating a “risk for frostbite and hypothermia” for workers if anything goes wrong during operations. 

Following the completion of snow removal on 103A Avenue to 109th Avenue today, Jan. 5, crews will be on ice until Jan. 10 — the town directs residents to watch for snow removal maps and sign up for transportation alerts at www.westlock.allnetconnect.ca/Pubs/register.aspx.

“We paused the snow removal as these prolonged extreme cold temperatures apply added stress on the equipment and machinery, which can cause breaks and equipment failure,” explained town equipment operator Cory Carlson. “While we are outfitted with appropriate winter gear and PPE, there is still a risk for frostbite and hypothermia if anything goes wrong during our operations.”

According to Environment Canada the temperature is expected to drop to -41 C overnight, while on Thursday, Jan. 6, they're predicting winds of up to 15 km/h with an expected morning high of - 42 C and an afternoon high of - 36 C. For Friday snow is in the forecast, with a daytime high of -23 C, while on Saturday they're calling for a sunny high of -25 C.

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