Saskatchewan Road Conditions are Treacherous, with Vehicles in Ditches and Slippery Roads
Snow has now fallen in many parts of the province, as the forecast Alberta Clipper swept across the province on Sunday.
The temperature warmed up, and many Saskatchewan roads became icy, making travel treacherous.
He was rescued by “a good Samaritan” after getting stuck in a ditch on Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Regina.
According to Bray, the road conditions deteriorated steadily after Dundurn.
“Now that we’ve passed Kenaston, I would say the roads there are quite bad. One lane is passable, in my opinion. Despite the ice, there is slush as well,” he said.
Vehicles are traveling at 60 kph in a big pack, traveling at 60 kph. You’ve got vehicles, semitrailers, four-way flashers.”
Several vehicles were also found in ditches, according to Bray.
Tow trucks are trying their best to reach them, but visibility isn’t great and the roads are slippery, so even they may not be able to get them.”
According to him, some drivers are becoming impatient as they follow closely behind each other.
Some people get tired of doing 60 km/h, so they switch to the left lane and pass. On both sides, you’ll see long trains of vehicles.”
Later that day, Locker from The Green Zone with Jamie & Locker passed along the same highway as Locker.
Wind was causing snow to blow over already snow- and ice-covered roads.
The ditch just south of Davidson is filled with quite a few cars. During the night, we saw a passenger bus slide off Highway 11 heading north.
The Esso in Davidson was crowded, and plenty of trucks were parked. We waited a bit behind a semi, and the back end was sliding continuously.”
Also on Sunday, 650 CKOM’s Justin Blackwell was traveling south on Grasswood Road. The road was in poor condition, he said.
There was a lot of slush in them. Normally, you can travel at 80 or 90 kph on that road, but we were only going about 50 kph.”
Getting sucked in by the slush would lead you anywhere. Obviously, you were going toward the ditch if it pointed that way.”
Around ten cars were parked along Grasswood Road between Saskatoon and Grasswood. The slush appeared to have just pulled them in.”
Which Highways Have Problems?
Moose Jaw, Swift Current around Morse, and North Battleford (Biggar, Highways 376, 4 and 29 from Kerrobert to Junction 374), were listed as not recommended for travel.
As of 1 p.m., motorists in North Battleford can also expect delays on Highway 16 after a semi rolled over.
Neither injuries nor lane closures were reported on the eastbound side. Toward the end of the afternoon, the road was reopened completely.
Read Also: Canada is One of the world’s Most Relaxing Destinations
How Does the Weather Look?
A strong low pressure system is tracking across southern Saskatchewan, according to Brad Fauci, lead forecaster for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
As temperatures have warmed up above freezing, rain and freezing rain spread across the northern grain belt and the Yellowhead Highway overnight.
It has been raining and freezing raining overnight in central Saskatchewan, and now we are starting to see snow moving in. Snow is expected to intensify throughout the morning and spread eastward.”
There have been several freezing rain and winter storm warnings, with ECCC predicting snowfall of 10-20 cm falling at a rate of 2 cm per hour along with wind gusts of up to 60 km/h.
There is a possibility of more snow tomorrow through those regions along the Yellowhead Highway corridor, according to Fauci.
He said most of the accumulations would come today (Sunday) for areas further south.
It will be less snowy along Highway 1 today. It should remain somewhat warm throughout the day, which will prevent any precipitation from moving through until later,” Fauci said.
Despite the warning area, the rest of the province will most likely see 5-10 centimeters of snow before the snow melts, but even that is preliminary.
As well as strong northerly winds, Fauci said a cold front would bring moderate to heavy snow to the Cypress Hills area over the next 12 to 18 hours.
A “pretty potent Arctic high” is expected to slump into the prairies by midweek, and a wind chill of minus 35 to minus 40 could be experienced by Thursday night, Fauci warned.
He said winter would surprise him in a few days.
How is the City of Saskatoon Doing?
Snow is expected to continue throughout the day in Saskatoon, according to a news release from the City of Saskatoon on Sunday morning.
Eight graders, 18 sanders and six ploughs worked on Circle Drive, College Drive, 22nd Street, Idylwyld Drive, and 8th Street through the night, applying salt and sand where needed.
City officials said sidewalk plows sand bridge walkways and pedestrian paths.
However, if the focus shifts to grading snow from high traffic streets after Sunday’s storm, snow removal may be delayed on several priority streets over the next few days.
In spite of the city’s sanding and salting efforts, drivers should keep a safe distance from other vehicles and give road equipment a safe working area.
The commercial dumping area at Saskatoon’s landfill was closed on Sunday because of muddy conditions, making it impossible to accept clean fill.
Read Also: Travel will be Challenging this Weekend as Heavy Snow is Expected in the Prairies