Late-season snowfall hitting southern Sask., up to 15 cm expected in some areas

It may be the second week of spring, but snow is falling in parts of Saskatchewan as another blast of winter weather hits the province.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the late-season snowfall, warning that as much as 15 centimetres could fall in some parts of southern Saskatchewan by Tuesday morning. The heaviest snowfall is expected to hit an area stretching from Kindersley and Leader east through Regina and Moose Jaw and southeast through Estevan, Kindersley and Moosomin to the Manitoba border.

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Large parts of southern Saskatchewan were covered by a special weather statement from Environment Canada on Monday, with as much as 15 centimetres of snow expected to hit some areas. (Environment Canada)

Saskatoon isn’t expected to get nearly as much snow, with just two to four centimetres expected to hit the city by Tuesday morning.

Meteorologist Rose Carlsen said while it is a little late in the season to be getting so much snow, a snowstorm in the last week of March isn’t unheard of.

“I know a lot of people are looking forward to it being done,” said Meteorologist Rose Carlsen.

“This time of year, it’s certainly not something that we’re hoping for or looking for with this kind of snowfall,” she added.

Despite the warning issued by Environment Canada, Carlsen said it’s not yet exactly clear where the heaviest snow will fall. She said predicting the system’s path is “a little bit less cut-and-dry” than it would be if the storm had hit in the middle of winter because of factors like warmth in the lower atmosphere and the stronger angle of the sun.

“It could be a little bit farther north, a little bit farther south. We can kind of get that uncertainty sometimes with these off-season events,” the meteorologist explained.

Carlsen said highway conditions could deteriorate through the day on Monday as the storm makes its way through the province.

“It’s still important to make sure that you’re taking care when you’re traveling anytime there’s snow on the roads,” she said.

While Carlsen said the heavier snow should start to taper off on Monday evening, lighter snowfall is expected to continue overnight in some areas. But, Carlsen added, the snow shouldn’t stick around for too long after it hits the ground.

“It’ll probably melt away pretty quickly. Our highs are still going to be lingering around 0 C, a little bit above, a little bit below,” Carlsen said.

The latest updates on the weather alert can be found on Environment Canada’s website, and current information on road conditions can be found on the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline.