AMA records 32,000 calls for roadside assistance during Alberta cold snap

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The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) says the extreme cold that has gripped the province over the past few days is one of the busiest prolonged periods on record for roadside assistance.

The AMA says between Tuesday and Sunday, it received more than 32,000 calls for roadside assistance, and that number doesn’t include online requests. From Friday until Sunday alone, 22,000 motorists required a rescue, with Friday being the peak (just over 9,000 calls in 24 hours).

As of today at 9 am, provincewide requests for boosts were 19 times the normal for this time of year, and requests for tow or winch service were 12 times the norm.

The AMA also added that its dispatch system wasn’t displaying accurate wait times due to its high call volume in Edmonton and Calgary, and has temporarily taken wait times off our website until the issue is resolved.

“Historically speaking, this is most certainly one of the busiest prolonged periods on record for AMA Roadside Assistance,” AMA said in a statement to Daily Hive on Monday.

“We’ve called in every available resource and have operators working around the clock in these bitter temperatures to address the extreme volume.”

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Extreme cold warnings remain in place for a vast majority of Alberta and according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, wind chill values near minus 40 will persist into this afternoon and it could even be a bit colder in open and exposed areas.

The ECCC added that many areas will see temperatures moderate into tonight, however, parts of northern Alberta are likely to see extreme cold conditions continue until later in the week.