Winter storm causes poor driving conditions, brings power down across much of southwest Saskatchewan
Thick, slushy snow across southern Saskatchewan Sunday closed roads, stranded drivers and brought power down overnight in many areas, with the southwest part of the province hit particularly hard.
As of 11 a.m. CST Monday, Highway 1 from Swift Current to Regina remained mostly closed, with only a portion between Caronport and Mortlach reopened.
The Highway Hotline reported roads being covered in ice and heavy snow, and remaining hazardous.
Highways 36 and 2 remained closed south of Moose Jaw, as did portions of Highways 363 and 39 south of Moose Jaw.
The thick wet snow froze onto roads and caused power outages across a wide area that included Lumsden, Assiniboia and Moose Jaw. Many of those customers were without power overnight.
SaskPower said Monday morning it was still working to restore power to customers in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas including Caronport, Rouleau, Mortlach and Avonlea.
At 9 a.m. CST Monday, Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for parts of Saskatchewan east of Moosomin and Yorkton.
"Freezing rain has developed overnight and will transition to heavy snow late this morning. Accumulating freezing rain is possible along both the Trans-Canada Highway and Yellowhead Highway corridors," said Environment Canada in an alert.
Snowfall warnings were also in effect for areas around Hudson Bay, Kamsack, Pelican Narrows and Cumberland House.
Situation in Regina
The snowstorm hit Regina on Sunday morning and continued through the day.
Around 8 to 10 centimetres of heavy wet snow came down in Regina, according to Tyler Bien, manager of roadway seasonal operations with the city.
He said crews were prepared for the first snowstorm of the season.
"With mild temperatures and active melting on the streets, one of our main priorities is ice control to maintain seasonal driving conditions on the road network," he said on Monday afternoon.
"Residents are encouraged to leave extra time for travel and plan your routes accordingly."
During the snowfall, crews focused on priority streets, such as Albert Street, and especially emergency routes, said Bien.
The winter budget is $8.3 million per calendar year, he said, but the city is already over budget.
"However, we do have the winter reserve in place to allow us to provide any winter road maintenance that we need to provide for the residents."
