First winter storm continues to wreak havoc in Regina and area

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Student transportation was cancelled for both the Regina Public and Regina Catholic school divisions due to unsafe winter road conditions on Wednesday.

The decision was made in light of “icy and snow-filled streets, and extremely dangerous driving conditions” in the aftermath of Tuesday’s significant snowfall, said a statement issued by Regina Public Schools early Wednesday.

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Classes were also cancelled for the day at Plainsview School and St. Nicholas School in Regina but are set to resume Thursday. Both divisions said all other schools remained open.

“Please keep warm and safe,” Regina Public urged residents.

Regina received between 10 and 15 centimetres of snow overnight Monday and through to Wednesday morning, prompting the city’s first major snow response of the season. The snow was accompanied by winds exceeding 60 km/h. While the snowfall took a break Wednesday, the winds remained strong and were expected to continue throughout the day.

Although a systematic plow began at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Regina transit experienced delays throughout the day due to snow accumulation, slow-moving traffic and stuck vehicles. The high winds also forced crews to plow certain areas multiple times, the city said.

“Blown-in snow has led to stranded and abandoned vehicles, further complicating our efforts,” the city said, adding that most high-speed and Category 1 roads have been plowed once and ice control done on high-priority roads as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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Driving conditions proved to be treacherous after the storm, which was preceded by significant rainfall on Monday. There were several reports early Wednesday of cars stuck in heavy snow on major traffic arteries like Lewvan Drive near Harbour Landing and Victoria Avenue east.

The Regina Police Service (RPS) responded to 28 collisions between midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, with 18 of those having occurred since Tuesday afternoon.

“We are also seeing multiple vehicles stuck around the city, who are blocking traffic,” said a spokesperson from the RPS, which also issued a traffic advisory Wednesday morning that asked residents to avoid driving if at all possible.

Highways surrounding the city were also in rough shape, according to the province’s Highway Hotline.

Nearly all highways branching out from Regina were marked as “travel not recommended” before dawn on Wednesday. Highway 1 east was closed early in the morning due to poor conditions, but was reopened before lunch.

Road conditions on Highway 11 from Bethune to Lumdsen, the Regina Bypass and Highway 1 travelling east to Qu’Appelle were still marked as “travel not recommended” on Wednesday afternoon.

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Saskatchewan RCMP responded to 120 reports of weather-related vehicle collisions throughout the province between Tuesday and Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported, but the RCMP said drivers could expect drifting snow and poor visibility to continue throughout the day.

Regina was expected to continue to see periods of snow and wind until Wednesday evening, according to Environment Canada. Forecasts were also projecting more snow to come on Thursday and Saturday.

On Tuesday, City of Regina director of transportation and roadways Chris Warren said plows were deployed in “storm mode,” focusing on priority streets. He asked residents to leave extra time for travel and to stay at least 3.5 car lengths from plowing and sanding equipment.

Snow routes across the city came into effect as of 6 a.m. Wednesday and the parking ban on those routes will remain active for 24 hours (until 6 a.m. Thursday).

Homeowners are required by city bylaws to clear sidewalks in front of their properties within 48 hours of a snow event. Sandboxes located at 19 locations around Regina have been filled with sand and are free for residents to use, courtesy of the city.

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Information on snow routes can be found here.

Sandbox locations can be found here.

For more information on the city’s winter response guidelines, visit regina.ca/winter.

lkurz@postmedia.com

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