Wicked weather affecting roads across Sask., temperatures expected to plummet overnight

Environment Canada is predicting a wild 24 hours for weather in Saskatchewan. From snow, to rain, to wind, parts of the province have already run the weather gamut Thursday. And after all that, a plunge in temperatures is expected overnight.

"From midnight to noon today, Saskatchewan RCMP's Division Operational Communications Centre received approximately 43 reports of weather-related traffic issues from across the province. These include multiple motor vehicle collisions, as well as vehicles and semis stuck in the ditch," a news release from RCMP said.

Terri Lang, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said drivers need to check the roads before heading out.

"It's going to be pretty tricky driving for the next 24 hours or so, because the conditions are changing so quickly. So people really need to be aware of that," she said.

Poor visibility and winter driving conditions were still an issue east of Saskatoon Thursday afternoon. Windy conditions continued as well.

"That's going to freeze up those roads again very quickly and we may see a little blowing and drifting snow in the overnight period as well. And then we settle into the cold air," Lang said.

The weather Thursday and the cold front moving in are related, Lang added. The phenomenon is called a Mackenzie low, because it forms in the Mackenzie Valley in Northwest Territories and travels along the jet stream, which goes from northwest to southeast, she said. To the south of the low is warm air. So as the system moves, the blast of warm air comes, followed by the cold.

"It's all related: the warm air, the snow, the freezing, all that kind of stuff, that's all related to the same weather system," Lang said.