More Arctic air in store for Sask. after another dump of snow blanketed parts of province

As residents in parts of Saskatchewan are digging out from another big dump of snow, cold Arctic air is expected to blast into the province in the coming days.

Danielle Desjardins, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said she wouldn't be surprised to see some extreme cold warnings going out early next week.

"Wind chills will dip into the minus 40s and so at those temperatures, combined with the wind chill values, in the minus 40s, you can get frostbite within minutes," she said. 

The deep chill will come after snowfall caused some poor travel conditions this week. 

Regina received the highest amount of snowfall, ranging between 18 to 20 centimetres over two days, Desjardins said.

"Not expecting too much with respect to snow moving forward into the next week and a half. And so travel conditions should be improving," she said. 

On Thursday morning, drivers were being advised not to travel on many highways in southeast Saskatchewan because of snowy road conditions.

According to the Highway Hotline, which provides details on road conditions and roadway advisories, several of the highways out of Regina were either closed or affected by snow conditions.

As of 10 a.m. CST, the Trans-Canada Highway was closed west of the city toward Belle Plaine, due to snow drifts and swirling and drifting snow. East of the city, travel was not recommended on the Trans-Canada right up to the Manitoba border. 

The Trans-Canada reopened later in the day. As of 4 p.m. CST, most highways were listed as "partly covered" but travel was still not recommended on some roads. Travellers are advised to check the Highway Hotline for up-to-date information before setting out.

In Regina, snow routes were also in effect Thursday, meaning there is no on-street parking along select routes identified by a blue sign with a white snowflake. Those parking prohibitions are in place for a 24-hour period. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued blowing snow advisories for regions in Saskatchewan's southeast Thursday morning, warning of poor visibility and winds gusting up to 60 km/h.

In Saskatoon, the city declared a snow event. About 11 cm of snow has fallen in the city over the past two days, and city crews and contractors are expected to clear priority streets in the next 72 hours.

According to a news release from the city, there will be 12 sanders, 26 graders and seven plows working on maintaining city streets.