Saskatchewan cities preparing road equipment ahead of first snowfall

The season’s first snowfall is looming over Saskatchewan, and while Saskatoon and Regina residents are reaching for their shovels, the cities are also bracing for snow that’s expected to hit the province Monday night.

Environment Canada issued special weather statements across central and southern Saskatchewan on Monday, warning that Saskatoon could get up to five centimetres of snow.

Tracy Danielson, the City of Saskatoon’s roadways manager, said the city’s crews have been preparing for the first snowfall this month by transitioning equipment from summer to winter operations.

Danielson said a lot of the equipment used by the city in the summer is also used during the winter. For example, she said a tandem sanding truck that’s used for road repairs also applies sand and salt to Saskatoon’s streets in the colder months.

“Our crews are ready to apply de-icing materials day and night if road conditions deteriorate,” she said, adding that the roads will constantly be monitored.

Snow will be cleared from the streets after five centimetres of accumulation, Danielson explained, and the process starts with high-priority streets such as Circle Drive, College Drive and Eighth Street.

Danielson said local streets have the lowest priority, and typically aren’t cleared unless an “emergency snowfall” hits, a large amount of snow piles up, or just before a major spring melt.

Last year, the city had an emergency snowfall in late December, when an estimated 34 centimetres of snow pummeled the city between Christmas and the end of 2022.

Danielson advised drivers to pay attention to conditions and allow for more time when heading to and from work.

She also advised motorists to keep an eye out for the blue and amber flashing lights of the city’s road equipment, and to leave extra room for the large vehicles as they work to improve the roads.

More on Saskatoon’s winter road maintenance can be found on the City of Saskatoon’s website.

Regina readies for snow and ice

The City of Regina is also making preparations for the first snowfall of the winter months by getting equipment ready for the season.

“Crews will be responding in the early morning hours to address any icy roads or snow plowing needs with our ice control equipment ahead of the morning commute,” a city spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“With the mild temperatures and melting snow tomorrow, the main priority is putting additional ice control on roads to help maintain seasonal driving conditions.”

The city reminded motorists to allow at least 3.5 car lengths when following snow-plowing equipment.

More details of Regina’s snow clearing program can be found online.