SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN - The winter storm that has been lashing southeast Saskatchewan is creating challenges on area highways Thursday.
The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure's Highway Hotline reports that winter conditions exist on area routes, with such challenges as icy or slippery sections, snow packs, snow drifts and drifting snow. But visibility is reported as good, which is a switch for an area that has been contending with fog for much of the past week.
Elsewhere, Highway 1 was closed between Rush Lake and Mortlach. According to a news release from the Saskatchewan RCMP, Moose Jaw and Morse RCMP responded to reports of multiple semis that collided and are blocking the eastbound lane of Highway 1 west of Mortlach.
Also, travel was not recommended on some highways in southern Saskatchewan.
The RCMP said motorists are asked to avoid the area and are to use caution when travelling on roads in the province.
A special weather statement was in effect for the southeast corner of the province, including the Estevan, Weyburn, Carlyle, Moosomin, Whitewood, Redvers, Oxbow and Carnduff areas. The advisory was issued Wednesday morning due to a Colorado low that has been bringing a mixed bag of precipitation to the area, and was lifted Thursday afternoon.
A snowfall warning for the Carlyle and Moosomin areas, issued Thursday morning, has also come to an end.
The southeast is expected to receive a few more centimetres of snow on Thursday, which will be whipped around by strong winds from the north. The snow is expected to continue into Thursday night.
The storm forced the postponement of the first two games of the annual McLeod Series basketball showdown between the senior boys' and senior girls' basketball teams from the Estevan and Weyburn Comprehensive Schools. Those games were to be played Wednesday night in Estevan, but will now happen at a later date.
Also a supply chain conference on small modular reactors that was scheduled for Thursday at the Southeast College's Estevan campus had to be postponed. It will be rescheduled as a webinar.
The Estevan Police Service assisted with one motor-vehicle collision due to the storm. A few speeding tickets were issued. The EPS reminds the public to please slow down especially when road conditions are not ideal and visibility is reduced.
The Estevan, Carlyle and Carnduff RCMP detachments did not report any calls due to the weather.
SASKTODAY.ca will have more details as they become available.
