Calgary got an early dose of winter Monday as drizzling rain turned into big fluffy flakes of snow.

Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the city Monday evening.

A cold front that brought rain to Calgary, and other parts of southwestern Alberta overnight, had even colder air behind it that produced accumulations of snow.

"The first significant snowfall of the season is occurring," said the national weather agency on its website. "General snowfall accumulations of five centimetres are expected, however, greater accumulations are possible in some areas — including higher elevations. Snowfall accumulations will vary significantly depending on surface type and snowfall intensity. Snow will taper off this evening in Calgary and overnight in Pincher Creek."

The heavy snow also caused tree branches to break, which created power outage problems in some areas around the city.

See the latest power outages here

Is it snowing where you are? Send us pictures. Email calgaryphotos@cbc.ca or Tweet us @cbccalgary.

Blowing wet snow west and north of the city reduced visibility on the highways in the area.

Environment issued weather alerts for many areas in southern Alberta on Monday: