Environment Canada said it wouldn’t be the “best idea” to embark on a road trip – especially southeastern parts of Saskatchewan this evening.
“Maybe put it off for 12 hours or so absolutely, and we’re getting some snow with this blowing snow advisory in Regina,” Dave Carlesen noted, saying a big portion of the snow will fall on the TransCanada highway.
Dave Carlsen is a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Read more:
“The system is still evolving, so the risk of freezing rain is still a little bit nebulous. So please pay attention to our our bulletins, our warnings for further updates.”
According to the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline, travel was not recommended in the Weyburn, Estevan, Regina bypass, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Meadow Lake and Prince Albert west areas.
RCMP is reiterating its message earlier this week, “if you don’t have to travel, stay home and stay safe.”
“Saskatchewan RCMP remind the public that if travel is not essential, wait until road conditions along your route improve before driving. If travel is necessary, stay on roads that have recently received road maintenance. Travellers can access information on road conditions and track which roads have been plowed, salted, and/or sanded within the last two hours at the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline,” said police in a statement.
Saskatchewan RCMP continue to remind the public to avoid calling 9-1-1 or local RCMP detachments for updates on road conditions.
“Calling 9-1-1 must be reserved for emergencies and crimes in progress, and using it in non-emergent situations could prevent someone with a life-threatening emergency from getting help,” the statement read.
Weather forecast
Environment Canada has issued yellow advisories for southern parts of the province for blowing snow and snowfall Friday morning.
He says the blowing snow and snowfall warnings are all part of a “fairly fast-moving system, another Alberta Clipper in a seemingly endless series that’s been moving across the province for the last week or so.”
Carlsen said the snowfall probably continue on and off through most of the day in in southeastern parts of the province. (Environment Canada website/Screenshot)
“Then the winds are going to shift around to north, northwest, and sometimes gusting as high as 80 kilometres an hour. So that’s going to cause some pretty serious reductions to visibility, maybe even at times close to zero, especially this afternoon and this evening, as those winds really pick up,” said Carlsen.
Wind gusts will be more like 60 to 70 kilometres an hour Regina eastward.
“We’re probably looking at 80 kilometre an hour gusts this afternoon and early this evening,” he added.
Carlsen said the snowfall probably continue on and off through most of the day in in southeastern parts of the province.
“It looks like the heavier snow is going to be come in two bursts – first this morning until about noon. Then it’ll stop or lighten up for a couple of hours, and then this afternoon, it’s going to get heavier again,” he said.
The heaviest snow will be expected to be in an area just east and northeast of Regina, all the way to the to the Manitoba border.
“We’re thinking areas like Yorkton, Esterhazy, Broadview, Quinton, places that places in that area, and then eastward into Manitoba, can probably see, maybe 15 centimetres of snow by the time it ends tonight,” Carlesen said.
He said he says it’s fairly unlikely Regina will get freezing rain.
“There’s a really, really small chance that we’re that we’ll see some freezing rain, primarily this morning, but the main, the main concern is going to be the snow this afternoon. Now that could change right now, Carlsen said.
Saskatoon is forecasted to get five centimetres of snow, but “it doesn’t look like it’s going to be as bad as it will in other parts of the province,” said Carlesen.
