With the approaching winter storm, the provincial Ministry of Highways is keeping an eye on the conditions. Anywhere from 30-50 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in southeast Saskatchewan over the course of 48 hours starting Tuesday evening. This has Environment Canada recommending people postpone their travels, given that highway conditions will be rather poor. It is a sentiment echoed by David Horth, spokesperson for the Ministry of Highways. 

“The safest place to be in the event of a winter storm is not on a highway; it’s on your couch watching Netflix, or reading a book or doing something else,” Horth told Discover Weyburn. 

While the winter season is over, it doesn’t mean that the crews from the Ministry of Highways aren’t ready for work. There are more than 300 snowplows throughout the province, and the equipment is mobilized before, during and after storms.  

Major highways are plowed six hours after the end of a storm, secondary highways within twelve hours and the other highways are plowed within 24 hours. 

“Once the storm ends, we’ll have the roads back and in good shape within a short period of time,” Horth added.  

As for the conditions during the storm, those are monitored closely, with advisories issued as needed. This includes travel not recommended advisories as well as highway closures. There are a few key conditions that play a factor in those decisions – limited visibility, road obstructions and the surface conditions of the highway. 

You can keep up to date with the latest highway conditions by visiting the Discover Weyburn Road Report page.