Travel not recommended along many Prairie routes as heavy snow persists
Snow-covered roads will continue to make travel difficult across parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba through Friday.
Heavy snow will continue falling on the central and southern Prairies through Friday, as a system slowly makes its way across the region. The snow is a welcome sight for areas that haven’t seen much precipitation lately, but is also causing travel concerns with poor visibility and slippery road conditions extending from Alberta through to southwest Manitoba. Snowfall warnings continue Friday for Regina and Saskatoon, advising drivers of quickly deteriorating conditions in periods of heavy snow. More on the amounts, timing, and the extended period of winter expected, below.
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THROUGH FRIDAY: MORE DIFFICULT TRAVEL AS SNOW PERSISTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES
This week’s bout of snow on the southern Prairies is a headache for travelers, but a welcome relief for agricultural interests who’ve watched storms miss to the north and leave soil moisture dwindling across the region as we head into spring.
Snow began early Thursday morning on the western Prairies and spread into Saskatchewan through the day, reaching Manitoba through the overnight and early morning hours on Friday.
Many roads around Edmonton and throughout eastern Alberta and the southern half of Saskatchewan were snow-covered by early Thursday evening, with drivers being urged to avoid several major routes because of the treacherous conditions.
By Friday morning, a portion of Highway 1 between Regina and Moose Jaw was not recommended to travel on, as well as between Regina and Moosomin.
Snowfall will gradually wind down by the afternoon hours on Friday, while parts of southern and central Saskatchewan will continue to see snow throughout the day.
Total snowfall amounts will range from 10 to 20 cm for many of the major cities by the time all is said and done. Around 10 cm of snow was forecast for Calgary with closer to 10-15 cm reported in the Edmonton area. In Regina, 15-20 cm will fall, with 10-15 cm forecast in Saskatoon.
"Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow," says Environment and Climate Change Canada in the snowfall warning issued for Saskatchewan.
"Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance."
LOOK AHEAD: EXTENDED PERIOD OF WINTRY WEATHER
Temperatures will remain very cold through Saturday, before much milder air spreads across western areas on Sunday and Monday. However, the warm-up will be short-lived, as a cross polar flow will deliver an extended period of wintry weather from the middle of next week through the third week of March as well.
Forecasters are closely watching the potential for another significant snowfall event for next Tuesday into Wednesday, which could impact parts of western and southern Alberta as Arctic air plunges into the region.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across the Prairies.
Thumbnail image courtesy: Jenny Hagan