November snowfall slows traffic across Saskatchewan

Snow was slowing down travel in a big way across much of Saskatchewan on Tuesday morning.

Snowfall warnings from Environment Canada blanketed central and eastern Saskatchewan, including both Saskatoon and Regina, as well as Prince Albert, Melfort, Humboldt, Weyburn and Yorkton. The weather service said five to 15 centimetres of snow could accumulate throughout the day, with another two to five centimetres expected overnight as the storm system weakens.

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“Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations,” Environment Canada warned in a statement.

“Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.”

Saskatchewan RCMP said officers had received reports of 44 weather-related collisions and incidents throughout the province up until mid-afternoon, with vehicles ending up in a ditch and jackknifed semis the most common. No one has been injured, police said.

RCMP also said southbound lanes of Highway 16 at Beam Road, northwest of Saskatoon, and northbound lanes of Highway 11, north of Bethune, are closed, and motorists should check the highway hotline before travelling.

According to the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline, plows are out clearing the highways. Still, many routes are covered by snow, and travel was not recommended on Tuesday morning on several highways in the Watrous area or  Highway 1 between Balgonie and Fort Qu’Appelle.

650 CKOM’s Alex Brown was on the roads early on Tuesday morning in Saskatoon. She said plows and sanding trucks were out on the streets, but advised drivers to leave early if possible because it’s slow going on the roads in the Bridge City.

The @cityofsaskatoon plows and sanders are out on the streets!
But many areas are still quite deep, or slippery, so be careful out there @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/k6ABLI5Ls9

— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownYXE) November 19, 2024

In Regina, 980 CJME listeners reported very slippery conditions, with ice underneath fresh snow, and some drivers having difficulty seeing lanes.

Environment Canada said, “northwest winds gusting to 60-80 km/h, giving poor visibility in snow and blowing snow.”