SASKATCHEWAN — A system that has spawned several weather warnings throughout the province is starting to plow through Saskatchewan.
Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the system is developing rapidly. Heavy snow and strong winds have already been reported in Meadow Lake, North Battleford, Lloydminster, Cold Lake and other areas.
“We’ll see all that snow develop through the province through the day … and of course we have those winds coming along as well, so once it starts snowing and of course you have the blowing snow, it becomes one of those developing scenarios,” Lang told SaskToday.
The heaviest snow accumulations are expected to be in the west-central areas, north of Highway 16, as they could receive 40 or even 45 centimetres, Lang said. Heavier snow is also expected north of Highway 16 around Melfort or Tisdale, which Lang said could receive north of 30 centimetres.
“Everybody else is going to get in on the action, save for the southwest corner of the province. They won’t see too much. The snowfall amounts will taper off the further you go south and west of that main band I talked about, but it’s the winds that will really be an issue.”
Winds are expected to exceed 70 kilometres per hour in some areas, too.
Both Regina and Saskatoon are on the borderline for heavier snow, she said. Regina has an orange-level warning, indicative of higher accumulations, than the yellow warning in Saskatoon. Regina is expected to have upwards of 15 centimetres of snow to go with the strong winds, she said.
“We know what happens in Regina when it snows with lots of blowing snow; the Ring Road turns into a bit of a skating rink and there are lots of issues with that,” she said. “People should make sure their shovels are ready to go and be prepared for winter driving conditions.”
People in Saskatoon should expect to see snow develop in the afternoon and become heavy through the afternoon and into the evening.
The cities and other municipal areas tend to be what she called “snow traps”, thanks to buildings and trees. The snow tends not to blow around as much as in rural areas, so 15 centimetres of snow can cause “a lot of chaos”, she said.
A freezing rain warning is also in effect for the southeast corner of the province, and if it hits before the snow, Lang said it would leave a layer of ice on the highways that would add to the challenging conditions.
“We’re not expecting huge accumulations, but you don’t need lots of accumulations of freezing rain to make a big mess for the roads,” said Lang.
She doubts the freezing rain warning will be expanded.
Lang said this storm serves as a good reminder that winter is still here and people have to be mindful of the conditions.
“When it snows, the roads get bad, and if they’re thinking about driving anywhere outside in the country, there’s a complacency that sets in. This is winter poking us in the forehead saying ‘I’m back’.”
Cold temperatures will follow the system, so people will need to break out their winter jackets, but Lang said it shouldn’t be enough for an extreme cold warning.
“If people are out and about, they should be prepared to change their plans, but certainly check the Highway Hotline before heading out. We’ve already seen conditions deteriorate very rapidly in that Meadow Lake-North Battleford-Lloydminster area with quite heavy snow.”
