Environment Canada has issued a winter storm watch for southeast Saskatchewan, including the Estevan and Carlyle regions.
According to the advisory, issued at 4:36 a.m. Friday, a major winter storm is to impact southern Saskatchewan this weekend.
“A powerful low-pressure system will bring an abrupt return to winter this weekend,” the advisory states.
On Saturday, an early disturbance will begin affecting the northern grainbelt areas of the province, with 10-20 centimetres of snow expected for the day, along with a risk of freezing rain.
On Sunday, the main system arrives. It is expected to bring more intense and widespread severe winter weather to the entire southern half of the province. Heavy snowfall will spread northeastward throughout the day, accompanied by northerly winds gusting to 70 kilometres per hour or beyond.
Blizzard conditions are possible and may continue into Sunday night.
For the southeast, Environment Canada says a milder start to the day will see accumulating rain and/or freezing rain also give way to the heavy snow with strong winds as temperatures steadily fall.
While details in timing and intensity are likely to shift somewhat as the event approaches, current consensus indicates that 30 to 50 centimetres of snow will cover most of the watch area by Monday morning when the system finally departs.
Environment Canada asks people to avoid travel if possible. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.
