Snowfall and extreme winds are expected Monday in Northwest Saskatchewan. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Hunker down

Winter storm blowing till midnight

Mar 29, 2021 | 10:03 AM

Residents of Northwest Saskatchewan can expect some turbulent weather if they’re outside today.

Following one of the warmest days of 2021 so far, a winter storm is making its way into the province. Between 10-15 centimetres of snow are expected to hit areas like the Battlefords and Meadow Lake where there are winter storm and snowfall warnings in effect. Meteorologist Terri Lang said it will be an all-day affair, but the vast majority of snowfall will occur during the day time with precipitation slowing down by the end of the afternoon.

“Then it will just be a lot of wind and a little flurry activity,” she said. “But certainly for this morning and afternoon, this is where the storm will be at its strongest wind gusts.”

The forecast from Environment Canada has gusts of nearly 100 kilometres per hour in the Battlefords, bringing a wind-chill of -17 Celsius this afternoon. Meadow Lake will see gusts between 30-70 100 km/h. Highs on Monday are -4 C in Meadow Lake and -1 C in the Battlefords.

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Motorists will also have to be aware of ice and blowing snow as precipitation is expected to come down till around midnight. Lang said that the highways are expected to become slick quite quickly due to the mild temperatures over the weekend. Things will simmer down Tuesday, though it will be on the cold side with highs of -4 C and -5 C in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake respectively.

“Winds are probably still up by tomorrow, so we could see some drifting snow, but for the most part, it will be over and done with.”

Lang said everyone should avoid travel if possible due to the conditions. The higher profile of vehicle the more dangerous the conditions are for drivers during gusts like these.

“We saw lots of blown over semitrailers in Alberta yesterday,” Lang said. “They usually bow over around 100 km/h and higher.”

However, Lang stressed that visibility is still the primary concern

“You can’t see very far, so it’s not worth it to try and drive if you don’t have to.”

Before getting on the road, motorists can check out the latest updates on road conditions at Highway Hotline.

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cjnbnews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW