West-central Saskatchewan worst hit by snow storm

Any snowblower owners in west-central Saskatchewan likely became a few friends richer during the weekend as piles of the white stuff flew, drifting in some places waist deep by Monday morning.

That area of the province received the worst of the storm, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Bill McMurtry, who said the same system that dumped on Alberta also walloped Kindersley, Rosetown and Lloydminster.

Though McMurtry said the west-central region’s weekend snowfall accumulation is hard to measure – largely due to the swirling winds that accompanied it – Environment Canada estimates between 20 and 25 centimetres fell during the storm period, which started Friday night and tapered off by Monday morning.

“That’s quite a bit in one dump,” the meteorologist said.

Strong northerly winds caused reduced visibility and white out conditions at times, though police in Kindersley say area residents kept safe.

“It was really good to see that people used common sense and stayed home,” said RCMP Const. Steve Boodram. Traffic during the weekend was “very minimal,” he said, adding there were no highway collision call-outs for police.

Kindersley tow truck operator Doug Demery echoed evidence that people were watching the snow blast from inside their houses, rather than behind the driver’s seat. Demery only pulled about six people out of the ditch, and during past snowstorms he’s encountered, numbers have typically been higher.

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” he said. “I think everybody stayed home.”

West-central residents such as Kindersley’s Riley Syrota were looking at the heavy snowfall from the bright side. Working to help shovel out a westside residence Monday morning, Syrota, 23, said a dumping that huge doesn’t happen often in his town of about 5,000 people, and he was finding the healthy dose of the snow is better than just “cold and nothin.’ “

“I know the kids are going to sure have fun today,” he added.

Meanwhile, other areas of the province such as Saskatoon received some snow, but far less, according to McMurtry. Regina and Moose Jaw areas saw between 12 and 15 cm.

The storm, which formed from a low pressure system from the Pacific, brought the greatest weather activity to Alberta, where in Edmonton reports were up to 35 centimetres of snow. However, winds in that province weren’t as strong as on the Saskatchewan side of the storm, McMurtry said. Some Alberta roads, including portions of the Trans-Canada, were shut down during the storm period because of heavy blowing snow.

For Alberta, high-wind snow storms sustained over several days is a bit abnormal, but for Saskatchewan, it’s par for the course, according to McMurtry, who said the province can typically expect three or four similar storms every year.

Temperatures in the storm-affected areas were lower than the days previous, and are expected to stay in the region of -16 C for the rest of the week in the west central area during to a arctic ridge of high pressure, McMurtry said.

Further flurries were expected in the province Monday, with weak systems looming over Saskatchewan threatening to blow light snow Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but nothing anywhere near the weekend storm, McMurtry said.