PHOTOS: Far-reaching storm takes a brutal winter hit on the Prairies
The powerful low-pressure system that unleashed catastrophic rainfall and flooding to British Columbia on Monday continued to push east across the Prairies, though with more of a wintry blow.
Widespread winter alerts spanned the region on Tuesday, with snow, wind, winter storm and even blizzard warnings carrying into Wednesday for sections of the eastern Prairies, before dropping altogether later in the day.
RELATED: Travel remains dangerous as potent blizzard moves across the Prairies
While the worst of the snow had eased across central Alberta by Tuesday afternoon, between 10-30 cm had already accumulated in and around the Edmonton area. That forced the closure of several schools across the region, as road conditions quickly deteriorated amid heavy and blowing snow.
The blanket of fresh snow and frigid winds also greeted more than 40,000 soccer fans that turned up at the 2022 World Cup qualifier in Edmonton Tuesday night. Originally, Canada Soccer announced that 50,000+ tickets were sold, but the blast of wintry weather likely lead to some no-shows, with the crowd announced at 44,212 Tuesday night. Crews worked tirelessly before the game, repainting the field lines and shovelling snow that had accumulated. Snow and frost aside however, Canada still managed to qualify with a 2-1 win over Mexico.
MUST SEE: A frigid night for soccer in snowy Edmonton as Canada faces Mexico
Conditions took a turn for the worse across southern and central Saskatchewan by Tuesday afternoon, as potent winds picked up and prompted blizzard warnings for parts of the region, including the city of Regina. Those warnings remained through early Wednesday as well, with drivers urged to avoid any unnecessary travel with visibility reduced to near zero at times.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Kindersley Fire Department reported a crash involving six semi-trailers that happened on Highway 7 just east of Kindersley and the village of Netherhill.
Courtesy: Kindersley Fire Department
According to officials, by 6 p.m., every highway out of Regina had been closed, with several roads and highways remaining closed on Wednesday morning as well, gradually reopening through the day as the storm eased.
The combination of heavy snow, ice and wind has also resulted in power outages, with repair crews struggling to reach some affected areas due to the conditions. According to SaskPower, nearly 3,000 customers were without power through Tuesday night, with thousands of outages still reported by the morning.
The system will continue to make its way east into northern Ontario by Thursday, with heavy snow continuing in parts of central and northern Manitoba.
FORECAST: Travel remains dangerous as potent blizzard moves across the Prairies
Here's a look at the strongest winter storm of the season so far.
