Travel warnings remain in effect as Sask. snowstorm tapers off
Snowfall warnings ended but travel advisories and cautions remain in place
A powerful spring snowstorm led to several crashes, closed highways and travel warnings throughout Saskatchewan's south-central and southeastern regions on Thursday.
As of 4:00 p.m. CST, Environment Canada warnings had ended in Saskatchewan, with significant snowfall no longer expected. However, roads in affected areas remained dangerous.
Several warnings, closures and incidents were still marked on the highway hotline map as of late Thursday afternoon.
Clean-up was also underway in communities hit hard, like Weyburn, Sask. Some parts of the city saw 50 centimetres of snow, according to storm chaser Jenny Hagan.
Crews had been focusing on primary and emergency routes, said Olivia MacKinnon, who lives in Weyburn and works with the city. She encouraged patience.
"We're all humans, all trying to do our job and we're doing the best we can. The guys are out there working hard trying to clear the snow, so if everybody could just be patient and try and stay off the roads, that would be great," she said.
MacKinnon said she is embracing the spring storm with a positive attitude.
"Winter in Canada is always gonna be crazy. We always hope it'll end sooner than it does. But it — it's just where we live," said MacKinnon, who moved to Weyburn about 10 months ago from Halifax, N.S.
Although springtime snowstorms aren't out of the ordinary, she did notice something seemed strange with this particular storm.
"It reminds me of a nor'easter, of a really strong, wet nor'easter coming off the ocean with a large dump of snow. That wasn't something that I expected in this climate in the Prairies," she said.
Snow like cotton balls
Nichole Zahorodin, who also lives in Weyburn, also noted the snowfall was thick, heavy and wet.
"It didn't even look like snowflakes. It looked like people were dropping cotton balls from the sky."
Zahorodin said it was hard to believe that just a few days ago she was enjoying a coffee on her deck in the sunshine, wearing flip flops and capri pants.
"There was little to no snow left in the yard. The grass was actually starting to turn, and now it's awful. I probably have two-and-a-half, about three feet of snow in some places on my deck," she said Thursday afternoon.
Even though she's been storm-stayed, unable to get out her front door, she's crossing her fingers for a slow melt.
"I don't think any of us here can afford another flood this year."
Storm starts to taper off
Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang said early Thursday afternoon that the storm was beginning to taper off.
"There's still some bands of heavy precipitation persisting in southeastern Saskatchewan," she said.
"The winds have calmed down considerably from yesterday but we're still seeing some heavier snow and some drifting snow that should taper off through the afternoon and evening as the system finally makes its way east."
Lang said that Colorado low systems like the one the province is currently facing are not unusual for this time of year.
"We get our heaviest snowfalls in the spring and the fall because we're able to tap into the moisture that's south of us," Lang said. "Warmer and milder air can hold a lot more moisture than cold air can."
Poor driving conditions
Weyburn resident Zahorodin said that even though the snow had stopped falling, people should still pay attention to travel warnings and recommendations. She said people shouldn't travel when advised to stay off the roads.
"Be safe, be smart."
Peter Kreis, vice-president of operations for CAA Saskatchewan, says if roads are closed, tow operators can't drive on them.
"We will leave it up to our contractor to make the decision in that particular area and we're always on the side of safety," Kreis said.
"That's the most important thing to us."
The highway hotline map also showed multiple reports of crashes and flooding on roadways in southern Saskatchewan throughout the day.
More than 50 calls for help in 1 hour: RCMP
In their latest update, Saskatchewan RCMP asked drivers to avoid travelling in southeastern Saskatchewan due to reduced visibility and poor road conditions from the storm.
The Mounties said they received more than 50 calls for assistance related to road conditions on Wednesday from 7:30 p.m. CST to 8:30 p.m CST, and officers were reporting delays with response times and tow truck availability due to dangerous driving conditions.
The calls included officers responding to a report of a collision between a semi-truck and a charter bus in the eastbound lane of Highway 1 just east of Sintaluta, where initial reports indicated one man was seriously injured.
If you decide to travel, RCMP asked people to check the highway hotline map and to ensure their vehicles have plenty of fuel, extra warm clothes, snacks, water, a phone charger and a snowshovel on hand.
The Mounties also asked the public to consider stocking vehicles with traction mats, a tow rope and a booster cable.
The Saskatoon Police Service asked that motorists use caution and reduce speed on Saskatoon streets. Police responded to 11 collisions between 5:40 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday, according to a news release.
The police service says none were reported to be serious.
Police in Regina indicated there had been a dozen collisions in the city as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, though they weren't sure if all were due to the weather. Two of the collisions resulted in minor injuries. Residents were asked to stay home if possible and to use extreme caution if they must venture out.
With files from The Morning Edition, Alexander Quon, Kendall Latimer