'Help is coming': Blizzard slams Saskatoon area, leaves drivers stranded

A blizzard that tore into the Saskatoon area Monday afternoon brought stinging winds and whiteout conditions that made driving dangerous.

The city recommended residents limit travel on roads and sidewalks, only heading out if it's essential.

"Visibility is significantly reduced. It’s important to keep traffic to a minimum for emergency vehicles to get around the city safely," the city said in a news release.

The city said crews will respond to ice and snow issues on priority streets "as best they can" during the blizzard.

"The wind may blow away sand and salt that we apply, so icy locations may develop as the temperature drops into the evening," the city news release said.

Once visibility improves, the city said it would work to clear drifts forming in "wide open" areas most susceptible to the blowing snow.

Outside the city, the whiteout conditions left many drivers stranded on the side of the road.

By Monday evening all highway routes in and out of  the city were closed, according to Highway Hotline.

Around 5:30 p.m., Blaine Lake RCMP reported zero visibility on Highways 12 and 40 and 40 to 60 vehicles were stuck.

"We know you are there, help is coming. Don’t forget to ensure your tailpipe remains clear of snow. If you run out of fuel, call 310-RCMP."

The Town of Langham, located along Higway 16, opened its community hall for dozens of stranded drivers.

"I think that at one point, we had up to 50 people there," the town's administrative assistant Darcy Wiebe told CTV News.

She said town councillors brought food and the town purchased pizza from a local restaurant.

Wiebe said the stranded drivers were able to get back on the road late Monday evening.

A dramatic example of how treacherous the storm was for drivers came early in the afternoon.

Saskatoon police responded to a 12-vehicle crash and warned drivers of deteriorating road conditions due to Monday's blizzard.

"Parts of Saskatoon are experiencing near-zero visibility conditions, and several multi-vehicle collisions have been reported to police," Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) said in a news release.

The 12-vehicle crash was in the area of Claypool Drive and Airport Drive. No injuries were reported, police said. 

By late Monday afternoon, the City of Saskatoon said Claypool Drive had become totally impassable due to deep snowdrifts and grading crews would respond as soon as visibility improves.

SPS suggested it was best to stay off city streets altogether,

"If travel is necessary, motorists are reminded to decrease speeds and increase following distances," the release said.

Throughout the day, Saskatchewan RCMP also advised against unnecessary travel.

"Road conditions in several parts of the province are deteriorating and Saskatchewan RCMP officers are responding to an increased number of traffic-related calls and collisions," RCMP said.

 

Poor driving conditions in and around Saskatoon right now. We've responded to many crashes, some involving multiple vehicles. Please slow down and increase your following distance. More advice in the video 👇#SlowDownYXE #SaskStorm pic.twitter.com/ipQEcJKV8L

— SPS Traffic Unit (@SPSTraffic) January 31, 2022

Prairie Spirt School Divsion, which serves the area surrounding Saskatoon, said all classes will move to online learning Tuesday due to concerns over road conditions.

The blizzard prompted Greater Sasakatoon Catholic Schools to cancel Tuesday's classes at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Warman and École Holy Mary Catholic School in Martensville.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) meteorologist Terri Lang told CTV News that wind gusts of up to 90 km/h have been detected since the Alberta Clipper storm system entered the province.

"The worst of the storm over western Saskatchewan will be through the afternoon, early evening," Lang said.

"Then the worst parts of the storm will be over the southeastern part of the province in the overnight period and in the morning and things will slowly improve from west to east," Lang said.

After a series of weather statements issued in anticipation of the storm, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a blizzard warning for the city early Monday afternoon.

"The falling snow and strong winds will combine to create blizzard conditions with near-zero visibilities at times," the weather agency said in the warning.

Conditions were expected to deteriorate throughout the day, from west to east with  5 cm of snow expected for Saskatoon and wind gusts up to 70 km/h.

Snowfall and blowing snow are expected to end around midnight.

Storm chaser Jenny Hagan told CTV News that she arrived in Kindersley around 9 a.m. before conditions started to deteriorate.

"I just took a walk over to the restaurant and just about couldn't find my way back to the vehicle, that's how bad it is," Hagan said.

Freezing rain turned into snowfall, which caused whiteout conditions around 11 a.m., she said.

Still no improvement at 2:15 pm Jan 31 #skstorm at Kindersley pic.twitter.com/ndxTKkCuon

— Jenny Hagan LostInSk (@LostInSk) January 31, 2022