A major winter storm sweeping across Alberta led to a catastrophic chain-reaction collision on Tuesday, December 17, 2025, involving an estimated 80 to 100 vehicles and forcing the closure of a critical stretch of Highway 2.
Chaos on a Major Corridor
The massive pileup occurred on Highway 2, the busy provincial corridor connecting Edmonton and Calgary, between the cities of Airdrie and Calgary. The incident prompted an immediate and full closure of the southbound lanes as emergency crews rushed to the scene to attend to the wreckage and any potential injuries.
Images from Alberta 511 traffic cameras, taken near the Morningside overpass close to Ponoka earlier in the day, depicted the deteriorating conditions that set the stage for the disaster. The photos showed southbound traffic moving through heavy, blowing snow with severely reduced visibility, a precursor to the dangerous situation that unfolded further south.
A Storm Wallops the Province
The collision was directly attributed to a powerful winter storm that walloped central and southern Alberta throughout the day. Environment Canada had issued updated winter storm warnings for southern regions, forecasting blizzard conditions, gusty winds, and near-zero visibility on highways.
These warnings proved tragically accurate for drivers on Highway 2. The combination of heavy snowfall, high winds creating whiteout conditions, and likely icy pavement created a perfect storm for a multi-vehicle incident of this scale. The closure between Airdrie and Calgary represents a significant disruption to one of the province's most vital transportation routes.
Broader Weather Impacts Across Western Canada
The severe weather system affecting Alberta is part of a larger pattern causing travel chaos across Western Canada. In British Columbia, a separate storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers on the South Coast. Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, authorities were bracing for blizzard conditions and gusty winds, with some school divisions proactively closing all schools ahead of the expected severe weather.
The incident on Highway 2 serves as a stark reminder of the sudden dangers posed by Prairie winter storms. Drivers are urged to heed all travel advisories, check Alberta 511 for real-time road conditions, and avoid non-essential travel when warnings are in effect. The cleanup and investigation at the scene of the pileup are expected to take several hours, with no immediate timeline provided for the reopening of the highway.
