Freezing rain on the way before Christmas weekend

With many Saskatchewan families set to pack up their presents this weekend and hit the road for Christmas trips, Environment Canada is urging people to check on highway conditions before heading out.

A special weather statement was issued for the possibility of freezing rain in many parts of Saskatchewan, including Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

Meteorologist Brad Vrolijk said a low-pressure system building in B.C. will make its way through Alberta during the day Thursday and should reach Saskatchewan during the evening and into Friday morning.

Vrolijk said there’s two uncertainties when it comes to the system: where it’s going to set up and how much rain it will bring

“Overall it’s expected to be relatively light, but there may be these little embedded pockets of heavier rainfall that could result in faster ice accumulations in some areas.”

He said the location of the main band of freezing rain could shift north or south 50 kilometres depending on how the system builds up.

Vrolijk said areas north of the Yellowhead Highway will see most of the ice accumulation due to lower temperatures. South of the highway could see the mercury rise to 3 C, meaning ice could melt fairly quickly.

While it’s tough to nail down exactly when the freezing rain will hit, he said Saskatoon should see it between midnight and 4 a.m., with the system reaching Regina around 7 a.m.

“In Saskatoon it’s going to taper off pretty quickly before sunrise for sure, in Regina it could stick around until mid-morning before it tapers off.”

Vrolijk said most highways in southern Saskatchewan should be in pretty good shape by Saturday due to the warmer temperatures. He noted central and northern Saskatchewan will see lower temperatures so people should check highway conditions before heading out.