Travel not recommended across much of Sask. as storm creates tricky driving conditions

Drivers heading out on the roads and highways in Saskatchewan on Wednesday will want to use plenty of caution.

The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline was recommending against travel on many highways around the province, particularly areas east of Saskatoon, after a significant snowstorm blew into the province on Tuesday, bringing high winds, freezing rain and plenty of snow along with it.

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Chris Stammers, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Regina got about 12 cm of snow on Tuesday, while Saskatoon saw around 11 cm.

“Highest amounts were up in the Meadow Lake and Prince Albert areas,” Stammers said.

“We had estimates of about 15-20 cm in Meadow Lake and about 21 cm in Prince Albert, about 17 cm down in Estevan.”

Stammers noted that snowfall warnings remained in effect on Wednesday morning, and most of the province can expect to see more snow before this afternoon. He said both Saskatoon and Regina can expect another 5-10 centimetres of snow, while areas further northeast, like Humboldt, Nipawin and Hudson Bay, could see 10-15 cm.

Meteorologist Chris Stammers said snowfall warnings remained in effect on Wednesday morning, but he expects the snow to taper off by the afternoon in most regions. (Environment Canada)

“It’ll start to taper off in the afternoon. The heaviest stuff will fall this morning, so it’ll kind of be transitioned to light snow by the afternoon,” Stammers explained.

While the high winds and blowing have begun to die down, Stammers noted that travel will still be an issue in many areas, with the falling snow affecting visibility.

“Everything east of Saskatoon and east of Assiniboia is under travel not recommended,” the meteorologist said.

“Pretty bad conditions out there for travel.”

The Saskatchewan RCMP also advised drivers to use plenty of caution.

“Following a stretch of warm temperatures, it’s easy to forget how quickly weather and road conditions can change,” inspector Lee Knelson, with Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services, said in a statement.

“As this storm moves in, we’re asking everyone to take a moment to prepare and make safe choices before heading out. If visibility is poor or conditions are deteriorating, the safest decision you can make is delaying travel and staying home.”

The RCMP reminded drivers to stay with their vehicles if they become stranded.

“This is your best chance for survival and helps officers locate you,” the Mounties noted.

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

Some streets in Saskatoon were in rough shape on Wednesday morning, with the city warning bus riders about potential delays. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)

Saskatoon crews ready to tackle roads

Before the snow even started to fall in Saskatoon, preparations were already underway.

Goran Saric, the City of Saskatoon’s director of roadways, fleet and support, said crews will be focused on clearing high-speed, high-traffic priority streets. That list includes Circle Drive, 22nd Street, and College Drive.

Meanwhile, the city said sanding trucks will be out on the roads managing icy sections so drivers can find some traction.

The city aims to complete all priority streets within 72 hours after the snowfall ends.

According to Saric, there will be four main grading contractors helping out city workers in addition to some smaller contractors providing support in sidewalk clearing.

Between the city’s resources and the extra contractors, Saric estimated there will be roughly 80 people working around the clock to clear the snow.

Although the blast of winter weather comes as a stark contrast to the recent mild conditions, Saric said the timing actually works in the city’s favour.

“This February break for the U of S and school divisions will definitely help, because this time we’ll see less traffic on the streets, so that should make our job a little easier,” he said.

Saskatoon transit seeing delays

The City of Saskatoon said its transit buses are operating as usual on Wednesday, but snow drifts are affecting access to some streets and bus stops.

“Due to heavy snow accumulation on the roads, bus operators may stop in the driving lane to pick up passengers and not pull into bus stops to avoid getting stuck,” the city noted in a statement. “Buses will be detoured if a bus stop is not accessible due to blown in snow.”

Access Transit customers, meanwhile, were “strongly encouraged to reschedule non-urgent trips today.” The city said planned trips may be cancelled due to safety concerns if there is too much snow piled up in the area, and some day trips may not be accepted.

“Customers should also prepare for delays as operators navigate traffic and road conditions. In the event a paratransit bus gets stuck in deep snow, customers on board will be required to wait,” the city added.

Police responded to a crash on 20th Street in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

Events postponed at Saskatoon winter festival

The storm has put a damper on Winter Shines events in Saskatoon.

According to Shad Ali, director of Nutrien Winter Shines, the festival’s outdoor events were cancelled on Tuesday as “winter came back with a vengeance after we had all that wonderful warm weather,” but he noted the festival is expected to get back up and running by Wednesday afternoon.

“We closed the gates to the outdoor part yesterday, just because of that heavy wind and snow,” Ali told 650 CKOM.

“What I anticipate is that we’ll be able to clear the site of snow, add some new snow hills for the little kids to play on, and then get things reopened perhaps around 4 p.m. or so today, so people can still come down and check out the ice sculptures.”

Ali advised festival goers to keep an eye on the event’s social media pages for the latest updates.

He said indoor activities are still running inside Gather Local Market, and a soup cook-off set for Wednesday at TCU Place is expected to go ahead as planned.

Snow routes declared in Regina

The City of Regina has declared snow routes, meaning parking will not be allowed along routes marked by blue signs with a white snowflake for the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday.

Parking along snow routes in Regina is prohibited during the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. on Thursday to 6 a.m. on Friday. (980 CJME file photo)

“This parking ban allows crews to plow the roads from curb to curb, improving traffic flow along the busy roadways,” the city noted in a statement. “As well, it will help ensure roads are passable for emergency response vehicles.”

Vehicles parked along snow routes during the ban period will be ticketed, the city said, and a map of the affected areas can be found on the city’s website.

Drivers face whiteout conditions on highways, major roads in Regina area

Josh Olfert was out working in north Regina and drove to Moose Jaw Tuesday morning. He said conditions were not good on Ring Road, the Bypass and on Highway 1 from Regina to Belle Plaine.

“If you don’t have an all-wheel-drive vehicle or four-by-four, I probably wouldn’t have been driving, because you could have some big kahunas to drive on in those driving conditions,” he said.

“I drive a lot, and I drive in some pretty bad stuff, and that was pretty bad.”

Olfert said the Regina bypass was completely covered in a few inches of snow.

“You couldn’t see any lanes. I had to throw it in four by four, just to try and get all the way to the number one (Highway 1). I was still going about 60 km/h.”

Even on Highway 1 between Regina and Belle Plaine, Olfert said the passing lane was completely covered with snow, while the driving lane was partly covered.

“I was down to 40 km/h in some sections, 60 km/h in other sections, following a line of vehicles. It was impassible.”

John Merli drove from Regina to work at the Global Transportation Hub on Tuesday morning before 8 a.m. and said it was a total whiteout.

“The wind is blowing, snow is blowing, and it’s quite deep. A lot of drifts, and the bypass is pretty brutal, so just take your time on that,” said Merli.

“I was not even able to see my exit. I had to kind of rely on my GPS map on the screen here to see the exit – that’s how bad it was.”

Parkland Ambulance says storm slowing down paramedics

Lyle Karasiuk, director of support services and media relations for Parkland Ambulance Care, which operates in Prince Albert and the surrounding area, said the storm has left the roads in rough shape, making it difficult for ambulances to get where they’re needed in some cases.

“Our ambulance crews are parking in the middle of the residential streets when responding to emergencies to avoid being stuck. We recognize it may be frustrating for the public but please be patient we won’t be there long as we are responding to someone’s medical emergency,” Karasiuk said in a statement.

“For our rural residents, please be patient as our ambulance crews are navigating snow covered roads to get your emergency.”

Karasiuk also reminded everyone to be cautious when shoveling heavy snow.

“Take your time, take frequent breaks, and if you get short of breath or chest pain then please stop and rest,” he said.

“If the symptoms do not go away in a few minutes, then call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number and get medical help.”

SaskEnergy shares safety tips for homeowners

With the snowfall hitting just about every part of the province, SaskEnergy is sharing some safety tips.

The Crown corporation advised homeowners to check that vents are clear of any snow, frost or ice that could block airflow and lead to a malfunction or a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide.

Homeowners were also asked to keep their gas meters accessible “so our technicians have easy access for servicing, or in case of an emergency,” and to avoid piling snow around gas meters or any exterior vents.

“Snow or ice on the meter can cause damage and lead to a service disruption,” SaskEnergy said in a statement.

“Remove any snow and ice by hand or with a soft-bristle broom. Avoid kicking or hitting the meter to break the ice and do not use a de-icer or hot water to clear the meter.”

Several flights delayed or cancelled in Regina, Saskatoon

Saskatoon and Regina airports are reporting several flight delays or cancellations in both arrivals and departures.

In Saskatoon, some flights to and from Toronto have been cancelled this morning. Several flights to Calgary have also been cancelled or delayed, according to both airports’ websites.

In Regina, many flights to and from Western Canada have been either cancelled or delayed this morning. Some flights from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Toronto and Winnipeg have either been delayed or cancelled.

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