Winter storm smacks central Saskatchewan with 10-15 cm of snow

An Alberta clipper moving eastward has smacked central Saskatchewan with a dump of snow and poor driving conditions.

Many central regions of the province have received 10 to 15 centimetres since the snow began falling Tuesday,  according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Saskatoon's snowfall warning ended as the clipper continued to move east into Manitoba, but areas in east-central Saskatchewan, like Yorkton, Kamsack and Esterhazy, were still under a snowfall warning Wednesday morning.

According to ECCC, the snow is expected to taper off Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Roughly 15 cm of snow fell in Saskatoon, which combined with strong winds to create heavy snow cover, snow drifting and reduced lanes on the city's streets and sidewalks, the city said in a news release.

Travel is not recommended on many highways near Yorkton, Kamsack and Esterhazy, according to the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline map. The map also shows some highways in southern and central Saskatchewan, including near Saskatoon, have poor visibility and winter driving conditions.

A highway camera captures snow falling on Highway 9 in Saskatchewan on Wednesday morning. (Saskatchewan Highway Hotline)

ECCC also issued extreme cold warnings for some areas of northern Saskatchewan. La Loche and Uranium City are expected to see wind chills to make it feel –45 C or colder through the rest of the week.

The national weather agency issues extreme cold warnings when very cold temperature or wind chill creates an elevated risk to health such as frostbite and hypothermia.

A screenshot of the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline map on Wednesday around 8: 15 a.m. CST. Travel is not recommended on highways in white, while the dotted lines indicate poor visibility. (Saskatchewan Highway Hotline)