City of Regina prepares for winter storm, possible snow squalls

The City of Regina is ready for treacherous conditions as an Alberta clipper continued to blow its way through the province Wednesday, wreaking havoc along the way.

Weather alerts blanketed most of the province, as Regina expected to get around five centimetres of snow along with 100-kilometre-per-hour winds Wednesday evening.

The snow mixed with furious winds also make another weather phenomenon a very real possibility; a snow squall watch was in effect for the Regina area.

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the best way to keep yourself and others safe during hazardous weather events is to just stay home.

“Often people think about snow squalls coming off of lakes like around Lake Ontario and such, but when they occur on the prairies you will experience that drop in visibility very, very quickly,” she said. “(It’s) a line of snow flurries that comes through, it starts snowing heavily (and) the winds then combine with the falling snow.

“It can happen very quickly. One moment you’re driving and it’s a nice day, the next moment you can’t see anything in front of you.”

Jenny Hagan was south of Eatonia on Wednesday afternoon when she was stuck in a snow squall.

“I can’t see the gas pumps that are right in front of me,” Hagan said. “These are whiteout conditions with no visibility.”

4 pm south of Kindersley #skstorm visibility is pretty much nil pic.twitter.com/HjDHpbrTzB

— LostInSk (@LostInSK2) January 13, 2021

Tyler Bien, manager of roadways and seasonal operations for the City of Regina, said crews were ready for any possible weather.

“There is 50 pieces of equipment ready to provide any snow-clearing or ice control needs that make themselves present through this storm,” Bien said. “The warmer temperatures caused the thaw-freeze cycles and the 100-kilometre-per-hour winds will really shine up our roads.

“We have our crews available and ready.”

The city also has activated its snow routes, which run along a number of busy streets in inner-city areas.

When activated — as it was Wednesday in anticipation of five centimetres of snow — residents are barred from parking on those streets for 24 hours in order to facilitate easier and more effective snow plowing.

That means there will be no on-street parking from 6 a.m. on Thursday until Friday at 6 a.m. Anyone who disobeys the ban will get a parking ticket.

Bien said the most important thing to do when dealing with harsh conditions is very simple.

“Just slow down,” he said. “If you do encounter any snow-clearing or sanding equipment, stay at least 3 1/2 carlengths behind them. Give them room and let them do their job.

“They’re out there to make the road safe for everybody.”

The wind Wednesday was making things difficult for a lot of people in Saskatchewan, as Brian Fleury saw firsthand at Lac Pelletier, about 30 minutes south of Swift Current.

The wind blowing an ice fishing shack at the lake #SKStorm pic.twitter.com/lVqKutzWVg

— Brian Fleury (@fleury_d) January 13, 2021

“Early in the morning my wife asked me if I thought any ice shacks would blow away and I said no way,” he said in an email to 980 CJME, “but then to my surprise when I came upstairs, there it was sliding across the lake. Pretty crazy.”