Be on alert for blowing snow advisories for some parts of Sask. Environment Canada has issued yellow advisory for blowing snow and snowfall Friday morning. (980 CJME file photo)

By CKOM/paNOW

Winter driving

Travel not advised in southern parts of Sask. due to blowing snow

Dec 19, 2025 | 10:44 AM

Environment Canada said it wouldn’t be the “best idea” to embark on a road trip – especially southeastern parts of Saskatchewan this evening.

“Maybe put it off for 12 hours or so absolutely, and we’re getting some snow with this blowing snow advisory in Regina,” Dave Carlesen noted, saying a big portion of the snow will fall on the TransCanada highway.

Dave Carlsen is a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“The system is still evolving, so the risk of freezing rain is still a little bit nebulous. So please pay attention to our our bulletins, our warnings for further updates.”

According to the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline, travel was not recommended in the Weyburn, Estevan, Regina bypass, Moose Jaw, and Yorkton areas. However, north central regions were also faced with conditions not condusive to good winter driving. At 10:30 a.m. Friday, highways surrounding Meadow Lake were listed as ‘covered’ while highways to the west were at ‘travel not recommended’ around Pierceland, Loon Lake, St. Wahlburg and Turtleford. Highways around North Battleford are just partly covered.

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Near Prince Albert, travel was not recommended east or west of the city on Highway 3 and 302.

Melfort and Nipawin areas reported only partly covered highways.

RCMP is reiterating its message earlier this week, “if you don’t have to travel, stay home and stay safe.”

“Saskatchewan RCMP remind the public that if travel is not essential, wait until road conditions along your route improve before driving. If travel is necessary, stay on roads that have recently received road maintenance. Travellers can access information on road conditions and track which roads have been plowed, salted, and/or sanded within the last two hours at the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline,” said police in a statement.

Saskatchewan RCMP continue to remind the public to avoid calling 9-1-1 or local RCMP detachments for updates on road conditions.

“Calling 9-1-1 must be reserved for emergencies and crimes in progress, and using it in non-emergent situations could prevent someone with a life-threatening emergency from getting help,” the statement read.

Weather forecast

Environment Canada has issued yellow advisories for southern parts of the province for blowing snow and snowfall Friday morning.

Meadow Lake is forecasted to received 10 to 15 cms of snow.

Carlson said the blowing snow and snowfall warnings are all part of a “fairly fast-moving system, another Alberta Clipper in a seemingly endless series that’s been moving across the province for the last week or so.”

“Then the winds are going to shift around to north, northwest, and sometimes gusting as high as 80 kilometres an hour. So that’s going to cause some pretty serious reductions to visibility, maybe even at times close to zero, especially this afternoon and this evening, as those winds really pick up,” said Carlsen.

A screenshot of Environment Canada weather alerts for Friday, Dec. 19 as of 10:30 a.m. (weather.gc.ca)

Carlsen said the snowfall probably continue on and off through most of the day in in southeastern parts of the province.

“It looks like the heavier snow is going to be come in two bursts – first this morning until about noon. Then it’ll stop or lighten up for a couple of hours, and then this afternoon, it’s going to get heavier again,” he said.

The heaviest snow will be expected to be in an area just east and northeast of Regina, all the way to the to the Manitoba border.

“We’re thinking areas like Yorkton, Esterhazy, Broadview, Quinton, places that places in that area, and then eastward into Manitoba, can probably see, maybe 15 centimetres of snow by the time it ends tonight,” Carlesen said.

Saskatoon is forecasted to get five centimetres of snow, but “it doesn’t look like it’s going to be as bad as it will in other parts of the province,” said Carlesen.

North Battleford and La Ronge may get 2 to 4 cms of snow today.

Prince Albert is expected to receive 5 to 10 cms, along with Melfort, Tisdale and Nipawin.

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