Calgarians philosophical about abrupt end of balmy winter weather

After a month of December that Environment Canada says was the warmest ever recorded in the city — sparking some quite unseasonablebehaviour — winter arrived in Calgary this weekend.

Snow began falling on Saturday evening, and the temperature fell right along with it.

By Sunday, a full complement of road crews were out dealing with the snowfall, according to Chris McGeachy, spokesperson for City of Calgary mobility.

They were plowing main routes and laying down pickle mixture, which is a combination of salt and sand, to deal with the buildup of ice and improve traction, he said.

With the temperature expected to dip even lower over the next few days, down to the minus-20s or even minus-30s by the end of the week, McGeachy reminded people of the need to change their driving habits for the winter conditions we have largely been avoiding for the past couple of months.

CBC News hit the sidewalks of Calgary on Sunday to see how people in the city were feeling about the abrupt end of the city's balmy winter weather.

For Dorian Ignoumba, who was out walking on 17th Avenue S.W., the snow was good news for at least one sector in the province.

"It's good for the farmers. This is Alberta, right. No farmers, no Alberta," he said.

Duncan Ouellette, who was also enjoying 17th Avenue with his dog, Wesley, agreed about the need for snow.

"Honestly, I think we need more snow. It's been so dry and we're desperate for water for next year, so I think a little moisture is good," Ouelette said.

With the temperature expected to dip down to the minus-20s or even minus-30s by the end of the week, the city is reminding people of the need to change their driving habits for the winter conditions. (Helen Pike/CBC)

But as far as the warmer temperatures Calgarians have been experiencing lately goes, Ouelette would be more than happy to see them hang around a little longer.

"I work outside most of the time, so I'm not complaining."

And how does Wesley the dog feel about the white stuff? "He loves it. He absolutely just goes crazy in the snow."

Stu McColl also isn't complaining about the mild winter in southern Alberta, but he felt this weekend's change was inevitable.

"It's been so long since we had any cold. So, it was bound to come eventually," he said.

He added that getting dressed for the cold on Sunday presented some challenges.

"Our dog stole all of our scarves. So we had to track those down," McColl said.

Jessica Lelekach, who was out walking with friends on Sunday, was taking a philosophical approach to the drop in temperature.

"We've been lucky so far, so it was bound to happen. It's chilly … but that's OK. It's Canada," she said.

Alden De Guzman said he's been missing the snow, especially at Christmas-time, but wishes the temperature didn't have to drop along with the flakes.

"The only thing I'd like is if it was warmer," he said.

And if it gets colder than this?

"That's not going to be OK. No."