After a sudden start to winter with two storms coating Saskatchewan in snow, crews are working overtime to get streets and highways cleared.
Rose Carlsen, a meteorologist Environment Canada, said it is not uncommon to see two storms in the same week.
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“It doesn’t happen every day, of course,” she said, “but it’s not out of the ordinary to see two big systems like that right after another.”
The west central part of the province was walloped the worst by the winter weather, with areas around Saskatoon, North Battleford, and Prince Albert seeing between 25 and 30 centimetres of snow, according to Carlsen.
A number of students around the province will get a snow day on Monday.
Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools cancelled Monday classes in Biggar, Warman, Martensville, and Humboldt. Saskatoon Public Schools and Prairie Spirit School Division have also cancelled classes.
Wilkie was hit the hardest, with Environment Canada seeing reports of 30 centimetres of snow.
That’s one way of getting around the neighbourhood! 😅
The snow is so deep on the crescent we live on, some folks are using inventive methods to try and pack it down, ahead of the work week! #skstorm @CKOMNews pic.twitter.com/WQopgzIH4D
— Alex Brown (@AlexBrownYXE) November 24, 2024
In southern Saskatchewan, Carlsen said many spots saw 10 to 15 centimetres of snowfall. Regina registered 17 centimetres.
The meteorologist said this weekend’s storm came up from Montana, bringing a moisture stream from the Pacific Northwest area, mixed with cold air from the north.
“When you get cold air and lots of moisture, it’s a great snowfall production,” Carlsen said.
“We had quite a bit of fluffy snow accumulating over Saskatchewan, and that’s why we saw so many of the snowfall totals as high as we did.”
The snowfall isn’t over quite yet for the southern part of the province. Carlsen said a “much weaker disturbance” will drift into the province on Tuesday, bringing another two centimetres of snow along with it.
“Still some snow, but not the same as the system that we just had,” she said.
Many Regina residents spent their Sunday morning digging out of the snow that the storm dumped on the city.
As the system pulls out of the province, Carlsen said it is pulling down frigid Arctic air, causing a plunge in temperatures.