Snowfall warnings in effect as winter ramps up in Saskatchewan

Winter gets a tighter grip on Saskatchewan this week.

Snowfall warnings are in effect for a large swath of central Saskatchewan thanks to an Alberta Clipper expected to dump 10 to 15 centimetres of snow on some areas until Wednesday afternoon.

The warnings covered areas including Saskatoon, Prince Albert, North Battleford, Humboldt, Kindersley and Melfort.

“We’re still looking at the highest totals lining up along Highway 16 corridor,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Rose Carlsen.

“We’ll see blowing snow at times, drifting snow on the roads. We’re not looking at prolonged whiteout conditions, but certainty will cause some treacherous road conditions.”

As of 7 a.m., the Highway Hotline showed mostly seasonal driving conditions and reduced visibility around North Battleford.

Southern Saskatchewan will the miss the bulk of the storm with the Regina area expected to see a couple of centimetres of snow.

Following the snow is the coldest air of the season. Arctic air will settle over the province with temperatures expected to plummet toward the weekend.

“(We’re) looking at highs in the -20s and lows potentially getting down into the -30s for the next little bit,” Carlsen said, adding the cold snap will last roughly a week before Saskatchewan sees a return to normal conditions.