Snow to begin early Thursday in late-season Sask. storm: Environment Canada

After some very spring-like weather this week, it’s going to feel like winter again in most parts of Saskatchewan as a major storm rolls into the province on Wednesday.

Following a stretch of warm weather that saw driving ranges opening up and police warning motorcyclists to use caution on the roads, Environment Canada has issued warnings and special weather statements for all of central and northern Saskatchewan, saying that as much as 15 centimetres of snow is on the way for most regions.

Meanwhile, northern parts of the province could see as much as 50 cm.

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Terri Lang, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the province is in for a “mixed bag” of  weather in an update on Wednesday afternoon.

Saskatoon can expect scattered showers on Wednesday, with a steadier rain developing overnight and turning into a wet snow by morning, Lang said, likely before sunrise. She said temperatures will hover around the freezing mark.

That, coupled with the wet ground still warmed from the higher temperatures over the past couple of days could make gauging snow accumulation “tricky,” she shared.

“We are expecting that to start accumulating in the morning with some melting, of course,” Lang relayed, still putting the predicted snow accumulation amount around 10-15 cm for the city.

Snowfall should end around Thursday evening, but the low pressure system will “keep swirling around for the next couple of days” into Saturday, Lang said.

“We’re going to continue to see light snow falling, flurry activity, but not much in the way of accumulation just because it is supposed to be relatively light snow.”

She said the weather system impacting Saskatchewan this week is a Montana low, moving east out of that state and taking a turn to circle back and through Manitoba before reaching Saskatchewan.

In Regina, Lang expected showers Wednesday night – even a thunder shower, perhaps. She said the rain will be steadier starting in the overnight period closer to dawn with the shift to wet snow happening later in the morning or early afternoon.

Once again, Lang said accumulations are difficult to pinpoint, what with the warm spring weather the city has seen so far this week.

“The temperature is going to be close to freezing, but probably closer to eight to 10 centimeters for Regina,” she forecasted. “Winds down there are going to be strong as well, stronger than they will be in the Saskatoon area.”

Lang said Regina could see 70-80 kilometre per hour wind gusts with the storm, calling it “kind of a mess” between the wind and wet snow.

Snowfall in the Queen City should taper off in the later afternoon or evening.

“They probably won’t see as much in the way of those remnant flurries Friday and Saturday, you know, just probably errant snow here and there and again, with not much in the way of accumulation,” Lang shared.

When asked if this storm would be the final bout of snow for Saskatchewan, Lang stated, “I never say never.”

However, she also said she doesn’t see further weather activity coming for the next seven to 10 days.

“That’s about all that we can look out with some sort of confidence. Don’t see any big low pressure systems forming after this particular one,” she said. “But that, you know, again, once you go farther out in time, it gets a lot harder to to forecast those.”

Calling it an unusal system, Lang reiterated that other parts of the province could see up to 50 cm of snow. She said Winnipeg, Man. has been issued severe thunderstorm outlooks. She said those “are only done before the severe season starts, only sort of on request or when it’s needed.”

Southern Manitoba is also seeing a risk of a tornado on Thursday. “So that tells you, sort of how much energy and heat and moisture there is associated with this particular system,” Lang said.

City of Saskatoon preparing for snow, wind and ice once again

With the stormy weather anticipated, the City of Saskatoon is readying to battle against rain, freezing rain, snow, flurries, wind gusts and icy surfaces.

“These conditions are likely to have a significant impact on travel. Icy surfaces beneath accumulating snow are possible and will reduce traction,” the city said in a news release on Wednesday afternoon. “Drivers will need longer stopping distances. Blowing snow and drifting may lead to sudden visibility changes, particularly on open roadways such as Circle or McOrmond Drive and other priority routes.”

The city advised residents to prepare for slower travel, road conditions that could change quickly and possible delays for the rest of the work week.

“Drivers are strongly encouraged to adjust to conditions, allow extra travel time, maintain a safe following distance and avoid unnecessary travel if conditions deteriorate,” the city release stated, also reminding drivers to be aware of city equipment on the roads, watching for blue and amber flashing lights to give appropriate room to workers during the storm.

City plows, graders and sanders will be on the roads during and after the snowfall. As snow falls, city crews will work to clear high-traffic routes like Circle Drive, Idylwyld Drive, 22nd Street, 8th Street and College Drive to keep conditions safe and passable.

“Operations will continue day and night as conditions evolve,” the city said.

If a snow event is declared, city residents can follow snow grading online. Saskatoon Transit will adjust service as needed, according to the conditions, the city said.

Spring storm to start as rain, original snowfall predictions 10-15 cm

Regina and the southeast were not included in the warning area, but the forecast indicated the Queen City will also see some snow over the coming days.

“Precipitation will initially start as rain on Wednesday for portions of western and southern Saskatchewan before transitioning to snow overnight into Thursday morning. There will be a risk of thunderstorms, especially over southern regions on Wednesday evening,” Environment Canada said in a statement.

“This will be a prolonged snowfall event, with snow lasting into Saturday. Total snowfall accumulations of 10 to 15 cm are possible.”

Most parts of the province were under snowfall warnigns or special weather statements from Environment Canada on Wednesday morning, with a wind warning also in effect in the southwest. (Environment Canada)

There’s also a chance of freezing rain on Wednesday night, the weather service added, while strong, northerly winds could lead to blowing snow and reduced visibility on the roads.

“Cooler, below seasonal weather is forecast in the wake of this system into next week,” Environment Canada added.

Further north, even more snow is expected. Environment Canada said areas around Meadow Lake could see as much as 25 millimetres of rain and as much as 20 cm of snow. Areas north of Prince Albert and Nipawin can expect to be hit hardest by the storm, with 30-50 cm of snow expected by the weekend.

“The Meadow Lake area has already been seeing some rain with the system, and we have a rainfall warning out there mostly for rain falling over frozen ground, so not a massive amount of rain, but enough over the frozen ground that it is probably going to cause some localized flooding in that area,” said Chris Stammers, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

Stammers said showers are expected to develop on Wednesday evening, with a risk of thunderstorms across the south before the rain transitions into snow.

“There is a thunderstorm risk later today and tonight for much of the south,” he said. “Snow, freezing rain, just a very dynamic system with all kinds of weather coming with it.”

In the southwestern corner of the province, a wind warning was in effect on Wednesday morning, with gusts of up to 90 km/h expected.

The latest updates on the weather alerts can be found on Environment Canada’s website, and the latest information on road conditions can be viewed on the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline.

–with files from 980 CJME’s Abby Zieverink and 650 CKOM’s Marija Robinson