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Weather turns nasty, again, in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan motorists face another round of nasty road conditions following a blast of winter weather that has prompted a number of weather and highway advisories.

Around 3:30 p.m. CST Thursday a blizzard warning was continued for areas stretching from Moose Jaw to the Alberta boundary.

Other parts of Saskatchewan, including Regina, were under winter storm warnings.

Forecasts called for heavy snow in Regina and Fort Qu'Appelle areas.

There will also be blowing snow due to wind.

The winter storm warning also extended to communities in the southeast, including Moosomin, Weyburn and Estevan.

Yorkton, Melville and Esterhazy were also forecast to experience heavy snow and wind gusts.

The blizzard warning for Moose Jaw, and communities in the southwest, forecasts very heavy snowfall combined with strong winds.

Snowfall amounts could reach 25 cm and winds may gust up to 60 km/h.

Things were not expected to clear until Friday morning.

Shortly after 4 p.m. RCMP said the storm was already affecting highway conditions.

"Blowing and drifting snow is creating extremely reduced visibility and icy road conditions," RCMP said, adding they "strongly recommend motorists do not venture out onto the highways until this storm passes."

They added that officers were dispatched to several collisions and were assisting motorists who hit the ditch.

According to the province's Highway Hotline many routes were hit with white out conditions.

The department said travel was not recommended from on Highway 1 west of Regina.

Conditions were also poor on Highway 11, north of Regina, to Davidson.

Weather was also linked to delays at the Regina airport Thursday, although a computer glitch in Toronto was also affecting the country's air traffic.

In Regina, Jason Sexsmith had been booked on a flight for Cuba but the sun and sand will have to wait.

"The pilot couldn't land so they went to Winnipeg and landed there and were going to come back and still couldn't land," Sexsmith, clad in sandals and shorts, said. "They were going to bus us to Saskatoon and that got changed and now [they're] sending us home until eight tomorrow morning."

Earlier on Thursday, about 100 workers at a fertilizer plant west of Regina were told they could leave work early to beat the storm.

Yara Fertilizer operates a plant near Belle Plaine.

Non-essential workers were told at noon they could leave ahead of the approaching storm.

The company said they have a policy to let workers leave when bad weather could affect their commute.