Blowing snow causing issues for drivers in southern Sask.

Drivers around Regina and on highways across southern Saskatchewan were dealing with reduced visibility Monday due to blowing and drifting snow.

According to the Highway Hotline at 3 p.m., travel wasn’t recommended on the Trans-Canada Highway between Regina and Moose Jaw due to zero visibility caused by drifting snow.

Those conditions also were causing problems on Highway 11 between Regina and Lumsden, Highway 6 from Regina to the junction of Highway 306, Highway 33 between Regina and Sedley , and Highway 46 from Regina to Balgonie.

The Highway Hotline warnings were issued hours after Environment Canada put out a blowing snow advisory for Regina and the areas surrounding it. That advisory came out just before 7 a.m. Monday.

“Strong northwesterly winds along the Wascana Basin are creating reduced visibilities in blowing snow. Winds gusting at times to 70  kilometres per hour are producing visibilities less than 800 metres,” the advisory said.

It added that “travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations. Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero.”

The areas covered by the advisory includes Regina, Fort Qu’Appelle, Abernethy, Indian Head, Balgonie and their surrounding areas; the advisory extends all the way south to the U.S. border to include Weyburn, Estevan and Milestone.

Environment Canada forecast that winds would be blowing at speeds of at least 40 km/h, and gusting up to 70 km/h throughout the day.

Those will create blowing, drifting snow, the weather agency said.

The winds will also drop windchill values down to -31 C, it said.

A driver named Rick travelling from Regina Beach to Regina said on the 980 CJME text line that Highway 11 had white-out-like conditions, and that several cars were in the ditch at around 7 a.m.

It's a beautiful March morning in Saskatchewan. 😫 pic.twitter.com/KPZmAsKOLi

— Greg Johnson (@TornadoGreg) March 4, 2019