Snow in June? ‘Unusual’ scene shocks parts of Canada and strands 60 park visitors
A western Canadian province woke up to snow blanketing the landscape. The familiar sight wouldn’t be surprising in the winter, but it was June.
A snowstorm warning was issued for parts of Alberta, a Canadian province directly north of Montana, beginning Sunday, June 18 and continuing until Tuesday night, June 20, CTV News Calgary reported.
Jasper National Park received over 20 inches of snow in some areas on Monday, park officials said. The storm stranded 60 visitors who were rescued from the park’s trails, lake and roads. Photos show a tour bus stuck in the deep snow.
Michelle Bakke-Purnell was camping with her family at Jasper National Park when the snow started, she told CTV News Edmonton.
“We woke up to the ground just completely covered. It was snowing so hard,” she told the outlet.
Another camper, Maggie Skulason Noble, shared photos on the Alberta Storm Reports Facebook group showing a snow-covered tent.
“Rain turned to snow overnight. Stay off the roads. Trees down everywhere,” she posted.
Despite the surprise summer storm, park officials reported “no significant injuries.”
Snow also covered the nearby city of Jasper, leading to many downed trees and branches, city officials said.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland told CTV News Edmonton that the snowfall was “exceptionally unusual… I can’t remember seeing snow like this in June in my lifetime.”
Year-round snowfall is normal high up in the mountains, but the recent storm stunned residents by dumping heavy snow into the valley during the summer, CBC reported.
“We aren’t kidding when we say ‘mountain weather is unpredictable,’” national park officials said.
Sara Hoffman, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, attributed the abnormal snowstorm to a “low pressure system” combined with “a lot of cold air aloft flooding into the province,” Global News reported.
Other areas of Alberta are experiencing wildfires and flooding, CBC reported.
This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Snow in June? ‘Unusual’ scene shocks parts of Canada and strands 60 park visitors."
