September winter storm brings snow, dicey road conditions to southern Sask.

Saskatchewan is once again proving winter weather doesn’t follow a calendar.

As of Sunday morning, Environment Canada recorded roughly 10 centimetres of snow in the Cypress Hills area, and meteorologist Mark Melsness said it could accumulate to more than a foot by Monday.

He also noted the snow isn’t going away anytime soon — at least in the southwest.

“Out that way, the temperatures have been consistently in the -1 C, -2 C range, so we’re not looking at a whole lot of melting,” Melsness said.

As of 1 p.m. Sunday, winter storm warnings covered the southwest corner of the province and snowfall warnings blanketed parts of central Saskatchewan.

Melsness noted Regina and Saskatoon are set to see the worst of the storm Sunday night into Monday morning with about five to 10 centimetres of snow expected to accumulate.

The southeast corner of the province will likely miss the flurries completely, Melsness mentioned, but rain is still in the forecast.

He said Saskatchewanians can thank a low pressure system coming up from Utah for the precipitation.

“It’s slow moving and there’s a lot of moisture wrapped around the system and being brought up to the Prairies,” the meteorologist explained, adding the storm should taper off across Saskatchewan late Monday.

September snow storm wreaks havoc on highways

While it’s still technically fall, drivers in southwest Saskatchewan are dealing with winter road conditions this weekend.

Melsness warned drivers to “watch out for snow, blowing snow and poor visibility” out on the highways.

And Leonard Lalonde knows all about that.

He was cruising on Highway 18, between Coronach and Rockglen, when the heavy, slushy snow became a problem.

“There were a couple times there when it would splash up onto the windshield from the tires,” he explained Sunday morning. “(The snow) just kept getting heavier and heavier. When we left Coronach, (the road) was wet — then halfway to Rockglen, the snow was sitting on the road.”

Lalonde urged drivers to slow down on the highways Sunday, noting he had trouble going faster than 90 kilometres per hour in the icy conditions.

For the latest road conditions, check out the province’s Highway Hotline.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Keenan Sorokan