Snowfall and winter storm warnings issued as Colorado Low expected to impact southern Sask.

A Colorado Low could potentially bring upwards of 40 centimetres of snow to parts of southern Saskatchewan from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday.

Snowfall and winter storm warnings were issued for parts of east central and southeastern Saskatchewan just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, upgraded from a winter storm watch.

Pats of western Manitoba were also upgraded to winter storm and snowfall warnings Tuesday afternoon. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada said rain mixed with snow is expected to change solely to snow overnight on Tuesday with the heaviest snowfall expected Wednesday morning.

Total accumulations of all precipitations could exceed 30 millimetres in some regions, according to Environment Canada.

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Warning and preparedness meteorologist Terri Lang said areas southeast of Regina and into the Manitoba Parklands are expected to get hit the hardest, where wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour are also being forecasted.

“In particular the Estevan, Carlyle and Moosomin areas look like it will get the bulk of the snow, upwards of 40 centimetres,” Lang said. “Areas bordering that could receive up to 25 centimetres of snow,” Lang added.

Saskatoon and the surrounding area are not under any alerts as of Tuesday morning, but Lang said snow is expected there as well.

“We’re just not expecting it to reach the criteria for warnings that we need,” Lang said of the areas bordering the alert.

WHAT IS A COLORADO LOW?

Lang said a Colorado Low is a low-pressure system that sounds a lot like it is, a low that develops over the state of Colorado.

“This isn’t a true Colorado Low, it’s a little bit of a hybrid, but Colorado Lows are lows that develop in that area and they kind of take a left-hand turn and head north and they can clip Saskatchewan and often hit southern Manitoba,” Lang said.

Lang said mid to late April is one of the most common times to see a Colorado Low impact the region.

“What makes them significant is they’re able to draw moisture from the south, so they tend to bring the heaviest snows with them and we tend to have lots of wind with them as well,” Lang said.

“Our heaviest snows often occur in springtime and fall because of Colorado Lows,” she said.

ROAD CONDITIONS

Road conditions are also expected to deteriorate throughout the day Tuesday, with Environment Canada saying visibility and heavy snow will be concerns in some areas.

Up-to-date highway conditions can be found here.

Lang said those planning to travel should consider postponing for the time being.

“If they [people] are thinking about travelling Wednesday or Thursday they might want to consider postponing that because travel will be quite challenging,” Lang said. “Check the Highway Hotline before heading out and check the weather forecast.”

Lang said just because you might not be in a warning area it doesn’t mean you won’t be impacted by the storm.

Saskatchewan RCMP echoed Environment Canada's warnings in a news release, reminding drivers to be aware of road conditions and potential closures.

"If you decide to travel, ensure your vehicle has lots of fuel and that you have extra warm clothes, snacks, water, a phone charger and a snow shovel on hand," RCMP said.

"Also consider stocking your vehicle with traction mats, a tow rope or chain and a booster cable."

Early Wednesday morning travel was not recomended on a number of highways southwest of Regina, including much of Highway 39 between Weyburn and Moose Jaw, as well as Highway 1 through Moose Jaw, according to the Highway Hotline.

Temperatures are expected to hover around zero in Regina until Monday. The normal daytime high this time of year for the Queen City is about 14 C, with the average overnight low around -1 C.