Environment Canada has issued a winter storm watch for Weyburn and the surrounding area as a system moving into southern Saskatchewan is expected to bring upwards of 35 centimetres of snow in some areas, with winds gusting up to 70 km/h. The system will start in the southwest part of the province Saturday morning, and make its way towards Weyburn. The snow and blowing snow are expected to stick around until Monday morning. 

“Blizzard conditions are likely,” said Kayla Bilous, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. “We haven’t issued a blizzard warning yet, since it’s pretty far in advance. We still have to make the decision whether to go from a winter storm warning to a blizzard warning, but definitely travel this weekend is not advised.” 

The system, which is coming up from Montana, is expected to have heavy and blowing snow, which will impact visibility. Bilous added the snow is likely to pile up on the highways, which will mean not-so-great conditions for driving.  

The decision to upgrade to a blizzard warning instead of a winter storm will be made once the system arrives. When that happens, they will know if it meets the criteria, which is sustained 40 km/h winds, visibility of 400 metres or less, and the conditions last for four hours.  

The winds will also make things feel a bit colder as well. Temperatures during the storm are expected to be around -7° to -13°, and the wind chill factor will make it feel like -25°.  

“Not too bad compared to what we’re used to, but still definitely a factor,” Bilous said.  

You can stay up to date on the forecast by visiting the Discover Weyburn Weather page and can get the latest highway conditions on the Discover Weyburn Road Report page.