Western provinces, Prairies face snowfall, gusting winds, freezing rain

Winter slammed into much of Western Canada over the weekend, with heavy winds and snowfall expected to blanket a wide swath spanning southern Alberta to northern Manitoba.

Brad Vrolijk, a lead forecaster with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says “a pretty potent” Colorado low brought a mix of wintry weather across the border that was expected to last until Monday morning.

He says blizzard conditions in the Kindersley area of western Saskatchewan cut visibility to near zero while about 10 to 15 centimetres of snow fell just west and northwest of Saskatoon early in the day.

Vrolijk says a second snowfall expected in the afternoon will land between Regina and Saskatoon and then move into northern Manitoba, bringing 30 to 50 centimetres by the time it tapers off overnight.

By early afternoon, ice and drifting snow had closed Highway 1 from Swift Current, Sask. to the Alberta boundary.

The city of Saskatoon has said accumulations could reach 35 centimetres by the end of today, with wind gusts up to 80 kilometres per hour.

Environment Canada says freezing rain will also stretch from southeastern Saskatchewan across western and north-central Manitoba and into northwestern Ontario.

Authorities from Alberta to Manitoba are discouraging non-essential travel.

Snowfall was heavy in Edmonton on Saturday, and police there said there were 125 collisions on icy streets between midnight Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Environment Canada said between 20 and 40 cm of snow was expected in southern Alberta, with more expected in some regions of higher terrain.

The agency also warned of strong northerly winds with gusts as high as 60 to 80 kilometres per hour that could cause sudden whiteout conditions south of Red Deer and near Highway 2.

The strong winds were expected to diminish in the afternoon, with heavy snow expected to taper off by Monday morning.

Vrolijk said Sunday from Winnipeg that Saskatoon will probably see between 20 and 30 centimeters total from the system, while Regina was in store for 10 to 20 centimeters but may also see ice pellets.

Freezing rain was also expected in central Manitoba, while communities further north such as Flin Flon, the Pas, and Gillam will probably see 20 to 35 centimetres of snow, he added.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today