Heavy snowfall in southern Sask. results in journey advisories

UPDATE: A number of Saskatchewan highways had been closed on Monday morning attributable to icy situations. Click on right here for the newest street closure and climate info for Monday, Oct. 24.

The Queen Metropolis skilled its first full style of the 2022 winter season on Sunday, with snow falling over an enormous swath of southern Saskatchewan.

In accordance with climate statements from Atmosphere and Local weather Change Canada (ECCC) the Metropolis of Regina can count on 10 to fifteen centimetres of snowfall, persevering with by means of Sunday and lasting till Monday morning.

“By Monday, we’ll simply see a number of flurries within the morning and people ought to ultimately finish,” meteorologist Dan Fulton defined.

“Accompanying the snow, pretty brisk northeast winds are making issues even a bit extra depressing. [So, an] early style of winter there for the Regina space.”

ECCC suggested drivers within the Regina space to be cautious of decreased visibility whereas travelling by means of the snowfall.

TRAVEL NOT RECOMMENDED

The Saskatchewan Freeway Hotline issued alerts throughout southern Saskatchewan, warning of icy, slippery and moist situations on highways starting from the Alberta to Manitoba borders.

Atmosphere Canada issued snowfall warnings overlaying most of southern Saskatchewan on Oct. 23, 2022. In consequence, the Freeway Hotline just isn’t recommending journey on many main roadways, together with stretches of Freeway 1. (Supply: Freeway Hotline)

At 11 a.m. on Oct. 23, the Freeway Hotline reported that Freeway 1 east of Regina and Freeway 6 to the south had been each topic to winter situations with icy and slippery sections blended with moist sections topic to freezing.

Climate situations west of Regina on Freeway 1, northwest on Freeway 11 in addition to northeast on Freeway 10 had been reported as worsening. The Freeway Hotline suggested that journey was not advisable attributable to slush, drifting snow and decreased visibility.

The “journey not advisable” warning ranged from Regina’s western metropolis limits to the city of Chaplin on Freeway 1. The warning additionally ranged from Balgonie to Wolseley within the east. On Freeway 11, the journey advisory prolonged all the way in which previous Lumsden in direction of Bethune. On Freeway 10, the warning prolonged to Fort Qu’Appelle and its surrounding space.

As of 12:30 p.m., Freeway 1, in addition to Freeway 2 close to Moose Jaw had been closed attributable to zero visibility, slush, and drifting snow.

The Freeway Hotline up to date the standing of highways instantly surrounding Regina at 3 p.m. Journey remains to be not advisable on Freeway 11 and Freeway 10 north of Regina.

Moist situations topic to freezing had been nonetheless recorded on Freeway 6 and Freeway 1.

At 4:30 p.m., the checklist of closed highways grew within the southern parts of the province. Freeway 11 from Lumsden to Chamberlain was reported as being closed attributable to zero visibility, ice, and slush overlaying the roadway.

At 5:20 p.m. the closure of Freeway 1 was prolonged from Chaplin to Swift Present.

“We’re all the time in a state of readiness,” director of communications for the Freeway Hotline, David Horth, informed CTV Information. “That is when it comes to salt and that is when it comes to gear, and that is when it comes to shifting so we’re we’re all the time prepared for winter.”

Horth expressed that in instances of questionable climate, drivers ought to all the time seek the advice of the hotline earlier than getting on the street.

“My primary piece of recommendation to you to anybody is test the hotline earlier than you go,” he stated. “If it does not look that promising, simply wait a number of hours. The climate all the time modifications in Saskatchewan.”

Updated details about the newest street situations within the province may be discovered right here.

SLOW DOWN

The Regina Police Service (RPS) launched an advisory Sunday morning, reminding drivers within the Queen Metropolis to undertake good winter driving habits with the arrival of the season’s first snow.

The habits listed by Regina police included:

• Cut back velocity on most roadways.
• Enable for extra stopping distance and apply your brakes rigorously.
• Give extra room between your car and the car in entrance of you.
• Give your self extra time to achieve your vacation spot.
• Make sure that to clear all snow off of your car.
• Learn, test climate forecasts and the freeway hotline earlier than embarking on a visit. If situations deteriorate, keep the place you’re.

RPS reported that officers had responded to “plenty of minor car collisions and autos sliding off of roads and into ditches” previous to sending out its advisory.

Nonetheless, there have been no reviews of accidents related to those incidents, RPS stated.

The Moose Jaw Police Service reported that the division was coping with a “high-volume name load” in response to climate situations.

In accordance with a Sunday afternoon information launch, MJ police responded to an inflow of collisions, jack-knifed semi models and autos within the ditch on Freeway 1 and inside Moose Jaw’s metropolis limits.