SaskPower crews are working hard to restore power to much of Saskatchewan after wind and snow ravaged the province last night.

Crews were able to restore power to some customers last night, however in many cases, roads were impassable, and the weather was too severe for workers to do their jobs safely, meaning repairs had to wait until the morning.

SaskPower President and CEO Mike Marsh, says they are doing everything they can do to get the lights back on as quickly as possible without jeopardizing the safety of their crews.

As of 11:00 am, SaskPower is aware of 80,000 customers currently without power in more than 100 communities throughout the province.

SaskPower says they prioritize restoring power to essential services such as medical facilities, care homes, police and fire stations, and then shift their focus to residential customers.

They say they understand how frustrating power outages can be, but they urge people to be patient while they are working to repair issues.

If you experience an outage or see a downed power line or other public safety issues related to power equipment, you can contact their 24-hour Outage Centre at 310-2220. They add it is critical to stay away from any downed power lines.

These may appear as if they are not conducting electricity, but they may still be live. If you spot one, stay at least 10 metres away and call our outage line or 911 so we can make it safe as soon as possible.

SaskPower is also reminding customers never to operate a generator in a house, garage or enclosed building. Doing so will create the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.