"There wasn't any snow on the ground last night when I went to bed," says Megan Gibson from the Marmot Basin Ski Resort near Jasper. "I think it started snowing as early as this morning and since about 6:30 this morning, we've had around 18 centimetres fall at the lower chalet."
Gibson adds that even heavier amounts are expected higher up. Usually at this time of year crews are preparing for the next ski season instead of actually partaking in winter-like activities.
While not completely impossible, heavy snow like this in July is pretty rare.
"This is totally out of the blue. To receive this much snow in July and have it stay on the ground is unheard of," says Gibson.
And it's all thanks to a cold front that's slicing through the province.
"The same low pressure system that has been bringing severe thunderstorms to parts of the Prairies has continued to push east," says The Weather Network's meteorologist Michelle Cassar.
"And after the cold front swept through, Alberta is now getting winds out of the north, which are completely cooling down the temperatures to the freezing mark," says Cassar.
Ploughs and snow removal crews are out in full force and are working to keep the base of the mountain and surrounding roads clear.
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