Motorists can expect to deal with poor visibility on Southwest highways tonight, with Environment Canada issuing a blowing snow warning for this evening. Winds could gust as high as 70 kilometers per hour, with snowfall amounts of five centimeters expected.
The blowing snow warning was put in effect this morning for the Swift Current - Herbert - Cabri - Kyle - Lucky Lake plus the Shaunavon - Maple Creek - Val Marie - Cypress Hills forecast areas. The warning was updated mid afternoon to include a wind warning for the Leader - Gull Lake forecast region.
"A low pressure system tracking through Saskatchewan has brought five centimeters of snow today to the northwestern Grainbelt. A further five centimeters is expected tonight throughout Southern Saskatchewan with some regions receiving local amounts of 10 centimeters. A cold front associated with the low pressure system will track through Southern Saskatchewan late this afternoon and tonight bringing northwesterly winds gusting up to 70 kilometers per hour. The snow combined with the northwesterly winds will cause poor visibilities in blowing snow. Conditions are expected to improve slowly overnight," the warning notes.
"The aforementioned cold front has a history of a narrow band of wind gusts up to 100 kilometer per hour in Central Alberta. These winds are expected to move into the Leader region late this afternoon and evening."
Environment Canada highlights that a blowing snow warning is issued when visibility is expected to be reduced to 800 metres in snow and blowing snow with reduced visibilities lasting for three hours or more.
People who have to travel tonight are reminded to visit the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure Highway Hotline website http://hotline.gov.sk.ca for the most up-to-date travel conditions.
