Latest news with #EdmontonInternationalAirport
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Edmonton area hit by 2nd-strongest winds on record in Thursday storm
A powerful thunderstorm swept through Edmonton Thursday night, prompting an emergency warning before the area was hit by the strongest wind gusts in nearly 60 years. Winds in the region reached up to 129 km/h, which marks the second-strongest gusts ever recorded in the city, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). "We're expecting wind gusts of, generally speaking, 90 km/h, maybe 100 km/h out of those [thunderstorms]," said Alysa Pederson, an warning preparedness meteorologist for the agency. ECCC said the storm developed from a strong low-pressure system and cold front, which is typical of Alberta's summer thunderstorm season. But this event was more intense than usual, prompting a rare "broadcast intrusive" alert, reserved for only the most severe conditions, Pederson said. The storm moved in fast, hitting the Edmonton International Airport around 7:15 p.m. MT Thursday, causing structural damage to a few buildings and the windows of vehicles in several lots. "It was a quick one. It came through here in about four minutes from start to finish," said Erin Isfeld, the Edmonton International Airport's manager of corporate communications. "We really came through this pretty much unscathed, when you think about damage to structures and vehicles; that kind of thing can be replaced or fixed. What we're really happy about is that no one was injured." she said. Airport officials had a few minutes' warning before the storm struck and moved quickly to protect staff and travelers. The airport closed its departure-level ramp in case of flying debris, and personnel ushered people into the terminal to ensure their safety, Isfeld said. Four flights were diverted to Calgary, and the airport experienced a short ground delay. Operations resumed within an hour. Airport staff knew the storm was coming, Isfeld said, "but I'm not too sure anybody really anticipated winds of 129 km/h." "We haven't seen winds here at Edmonton International like that for the last 60 years," she said. "So [it's] a very rare event to happen here." Pederson, of ECCC, said Edmonton last experienced stronger winds on Oct. 1, 1965, when gusts reached 146 km/h. The storm caused damage across several Edmonton neighbourhoods and surrounding areas. Trees were uprooted or snapped, and debris damaged some homes, fences, vehicles and power lines. Kolton Canning, an arbourist and owner of Trusty Tree Services, said his business' phones haven't stopped ringing. "We are struggling to keep up and we have a very specialized team and system to deal with this," he said. His crews are removing a massive fallen trees, including a 21-metre pine that crashed onto a home, he said. They're dealing with a variety of trees, but a lot of pines and spruce fell on cars, sheds, houses and fences, he said, adding that areas like Brookside, Sherwood Park and Fort Saskatchewan were hit particularly hard. In the aftermath, EPCOR reported four power outages affecting 37 customers in various parts of Edmonton, but crews restored power by the end of the night."While our electrical system is designed to handle a wide variety of conditions, outages do occur for a variety of reasons, including high winds and storms," EPCOR said in a statement. Residents are urged not to approach downed power lines or branches tangled in electrical wires. Instead, they should stay 10 metres back and report it to 911 or the utility company, EPCOR said. "We will send a crew with proper safety equipment to remove the object and repair any damage," the company said. Pederson, from ECCC, noted that climate change could cause more events like this. "We are seeing impacts of climate change across Alberta, across western North America. The further north you are, the greater that change is," she said. "Warmer air means it can hold more moisture, which leads to its ability to have bigger thunderstorms and bigger extremes for severe weather."
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Edmonton area hit by 2nd-strongest winds on record in Thursday storm
A powerful thunderstorm swept through Edmonton Thursday night, prompting an emergency warning before the area was hit by the strongest wind gusts in nearly 60 years. Winds in the region reached up to 129 km/h, which marks the second-strongest gusts ever recorded in the city, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). "We're expecting wind gusts of, generally speaking, 90 km/h, maybe 100 km/h out of those [thunderstorms]," said Alysa Pederson, an warning preparedness meteorologist for the agency. ECCC said the storm developed from a strong low-pressure system and cold front, which is typical of Alberta's summer thunderstorm season. But this event was more intense than usual, prompting a rare "broadcast intrusive" alert, reserved for only the most severe conditions, Pederson said. The storm moved in fast, hitting the Edmonton International Airport around 7:15 p.m. MT Thursday, causing structural damage to a few buildings and the windows of vehicles in several lots. "It was a quick one. It came through here in about four minutes from start to finish," said Erin Isfeld, the Edmonton International Airport's manager of corporate communications. "We really came through this pretty much unscathed, when you think about damage to structures and vehicles; that kind of thing can be replaced or fixed. What we're really happy about is that no one was injured." she said. Airport officials had a few minutes' warning before the storm struck and moved quickly to protect staff and travelers. The airport closed its departure-level ramp in case of flying debris, and personnel ushered people into the terminal to ensure their safety, Isfeld said. Four flights were diverted to Calgary, and the airport experienced a short ground delay. Operations resumed within an hour. Airport staff knew the storm was coming, Isfeld said, "but I'm not too sure anybody really anticipated winds of 129 km/h." "We haven't seen winds here at Edmonton International like that for the last 60 years," she said. "So [it's] a very rare event to happen here." Pederson, of ECCC, said Edmonton last experienced stronger winds on Oct. 1, 1965, when gusts reached 146 km/h. The storm caused damage across several Edmonton neighbourhoods and surrounding areas. Trees were uprooted or snapped, and debris damaged some homes, fences, vehicles and power lines. Kolton Canning, an arbourist and owner of Trusty Tree Services, said his business' phones haven't stopped ringing. "We are struggling to keep up and we have a very specialized team and system to deal with this," he said. His crews are removing a massive fallen trees, including a 21-metre pine that crashed onto a home, he said. They're dealing with a variety of trees, but a lot of pines and spruce fell on cars, sheds, houses and fences, he said, adding that areas like Brookside, Sherwood Park and Fort Saskatchewan were hit particularly hard. In the aftermath, EPCOR reported four power outages affecting 37 customers in various parts of Edmonton, but crews restored power by the end of the night. "While our electrical system is designed to handle a wide variety of conditions, outages do occur for a variety of reasons, including high winds and storms," EPCOR said in a statement. Residents are urged not to approach downed power lines or branches tangled in electrical wires. Instead, they should stay 10 metres back and report it to 911 or the utility company, EPCOR said. "We will send a crew with proper safety equipment to remove the object and repair any damage," the company said. Pederson, from ECCC, noted that climate change could cause more events like this. "We are seeing impacts of climate change across Alberta, across western North America. The further north you are, the greater that change is," she said.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Edmonton weather: Weekend outlook has some heat, storms, smoke and a cool down
According to CTV Edmonton's Cory Edel's forecast, Friday will be cool, Saturday hot, and Sunday seasonal. Still a little breezy in the Edmonton area this morning, but the wind should back off midday and this afternoon. Sunshine and temperatures hitting 23 or 24 C this afternoon. That's a few degrees above average, but a long ways off yesterday's record-setting 33 C. There were 20 new record highs set in Alberta on Thursday ahead of thunderstorms that brought damaging wind gusts to some areas, including southern parts of the Edmonton region. Edmonton International Airport recorded wind gusts over 100 km/h. The climate station on site had gusts to 115 km/h and the main weather station had a 130 km/h gust. The Blatchford weather station maxed out at 60 km/h. Heat returns for Saturday as temperatures climb to near 30 C in the Edmonton area in the afternoon. However, another cold front will blast through the area Saturday night. Showers and thunderstorms (possibly severe) will move through areas from around Edson northeast to Fort McMurray in the afternoon and then push ESE. There's a slight risk of some supper-time showers/storms in the Edmonton region Saturday, but the best chance will be through the nighttime hours Saturday. Behind that cold front, we'll drop to a high near 18 C on Sunday. Wildfire smoke is not expected to be an issue in the Edmonton area through the day Saturday, but we may see it move in for Saturday night and early Sunday. Most of the modelling has the smoke moving out of the area for Sunday. Northern Alberta, especially the northeast, could have smoky skies through much of the weekend with a chance for some very thick smoke on Sunday. Here's the forecast for Edmonton and area: Today - Mainly sunny. Breezy this morning, wind easing in the afternoon. High: 24 Tonight - Mainly clear. 9pm: 22 Saturday - Mix of sun & cloud. 30% chance of a late-afternoon shower or thunderstorm. Morning Low: 15 Afternoon High: 30 40% chance of showers/thunderstorms in the evening & overnight. Sunday - Partly cloudy in the morning. Sunny in the afternoon. Morning Low: 10 Afternoon High: 18 Monday - Mainly sunny. Morning Low: 8 Afternoon High: 19 Tuesday - Partly cloudy. Morning Low: 8 Afternoon High: 20 Wednesday - Mainly sunny. Morning Low: 9 Afternoon High: 22
Cision Canada
19-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Wander West, Edmontonians: WestJet adds two domestic routes from Edmonton International Airport Français
Airline also increases capacity to Vancouver Island and Northwest Territories EDMONTON, AB, May 19, 2025 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced the return of non-stop service between Edmonton International Airport (YEG) and Kamloops, B.C. as well as the introduction of all-new service to Prince George, B.C. Beginning the first week of July, WestJet Encore will operate the routes twice per week throughout the peak summer travel season onboard the De Havilland Dash 8-400 (Q400) aircraft. "Restoring service to Kamloops and introducing service to Prince George is a direct reflection of Canadians' interest in exploring their own backyard this summer," said John Weatherill, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. "With more flights and more seats in key Western Canadian markets, we're giving Canadians better access to the destinations they rely on for business, leisure and visiting loved ones." In addition to the new seasonal routes, WestJet has increased capacity on two key domestic routes from Edmonton. This summer, WestJet will offer service to Nanaimo, B.C. on the Boeing 737, more than doubling seat capacity. The airline is also offering service between Yellowknife and Edmonton on the Boeing 737 twice per week. Historically, both routes only operated on the Q400. Additional quotes "YEG welcomes more flights to more places, celebrating WestJet's dedication to regional connectivity and additional options for Canadians to explore our beautiful country," said James Jackson, Vice President, Air Service & Business Development, Edmonton International Airport (YEG). "Non-stop flights between Edmonton and Kamloops and Prince George offers travellers from British Columbia convenient access to world-class experiences and attractions in the Edmonton region, and connectivity to YEG's vast network of global destinations. Likewise, people from Edmonton and surrounding communities can seamlessly reach more of British Columbia's breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture without the lengthy road trip." "We're thrilled to welcome this new route connecting Prince George to Edmonton, expanding travel options for our community and strengthening our region's accessibility," said Sabrina Angus, Interim President and CEO of the Prince George Airport Authority. "This service not only opens the door for more business and leisure travel but also reinforces our commitment to connecting Northern BC to key hubs across Canada." "As a gateway to the City of Kamloops and the Thompson Nicola region, Kamloops Airport is very pleased to welcome back WestJet's service to Edmonton," said Jim Moroz, Managing Director, Kamloops Airport. "Edmonton has long been a popular destination for our community, and the service comes just in time for travelers on both ends of the route to reconnect with family and friends during the summer months. We look forward to working with WestJet and our tourism partners to make this service a success." "We're pleased to see this increased investment in connectivity between Yellowknife and Edmonton. The move to add additional capacity reflects growing demand in our region and strengthens an essential link for business, tourism, and northern communities. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership and welcoming more travellers to and from YZF," said Randy Straker, Regional Airport Manager, Yellowknife Airport. "We are very excited that WestJet is increasing the capacity for its route between YCD - Nanaimo and YEG - Edmonton this summer providing our customers with enhanced services on a 737 aircraft to Vancouver Island and Edmonton during the popular tourism season," said Dave Devana, President & CEO Nanaimo Airport Commission. About WestJet WestJet took to the skies in 1996 with just over 200 employees and three aircraft operating service to five destinations. Since then, WestJet has pioneered low-cost travel in Canada, cutting airfares in half, and increasing the flying population in Canada by more than 50 per cent. Following integration with Sunwing in 2025, more than 14,000 WestJetters support nearly 200 aircraft and connect guests to more than 100 destinations across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. As a major Canadian employer that includes WestJet Airlines, Sunwing Vacations Group and WestJet Cargo, the WestJet Group is Canada's leading low-cost airline and largest vacation provider, with a united purpose of providing affordable and accessible air and vacation travel to Canadians.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Flyers can watch the northern lights from Edmonton airport's new sensory room
A time-lapsed video of the Northern Lights will be among the highlights at a new sensory room at Edmonton International Airport. The immersive space is designed to provide passengers with a tranquil retreat from the stresses of the bustling terminal. Developed in collaboration with Autism Edmonton, it is aimed specifically for those with autism, anxiety and other cognitive challenges, the airport said. It will be located beyond the security gates in the domestic-international departures lounge across from Gate 49. As well as the aurora borealis show, it will feature illuminated benches in changing colours to provide a relaxing atmosphere, a 1.5-metre-wide sensory pad and interactive panels for 'tactile, visual and auditory engagement.' And to help nervous flyers get prepared for their journeys, rows of aircraft seating have been donated by airline partners to help passengers familiarize themselves with the airborne experience. 'Autistic individuals have repeatedly told us that travel can be an overwhelming experience for them with their sensory system being overloaded with the sights and sounds an airport brings,' said Melinda Noyes of Autism Edmonton. She said the sensory room will be 'a vital escape for people looking to self-regulate.' Carmen Donnelly, of Edmonton International Airport, said it recognizes that airports can be an 'overwhelming' environment for some travellers. 'We hope this calming space helps make the travel experience easier and more accessible by providing a soothing environment for passengers to take a break before their flight,' she said. The sensory room officially opened on April 2, recognized by the United Nations as World Autism Awareness Day.
