Winter at last: First snow of 2024 arrives following mild December

Winter was slow arriving this year, but it’s finally here.

A system moving through the Prairies began spreading snow across the province Friday morning.

It didn’t take long for the snow to begin impacting road conditions, with the Highway Hotline reporting poor visibility around Saskatoon and Regina.

“It’s a pretty quick-moving system so we’re really expecting the snow to end (Friday) afternoon,” Environment Canada meteorologist Shannon Moodie said.

The heaviest band of snow will fall north of Saskatoon. Moodie said the Prince Albert and Meadow Lake areas will see between five and 10 centimetres.

Roughly five centimetres are expected for Saskatoon and two to four centimetres for the Regina area.

The snow could help farmers in the province who have been decrying the lack of moisture in their fields.

Consistent winter weather has been missing across Saskatchewan thanks to a strong El Nino year.

Moodie said the arrival of the snow also marks the beginning of the end to the mild conditions.

“We have an arctic ridge building after this system and that’s going to bring some cooler air,” said Moodie. “We haven’t experienced those type of temperatures so it’s definitely going to feel chilly and take a while to get used to.”

If the forecast holds, daytime highs for both Saskatoon and Regina will hover around -20 C by the middle of next week.