Southeast Saskatchewan received a bit of a surprise this morning. Snow fell on the majority of the area, blanketing its roads and highways.
After a cold February, the southeast has been treated to warmer days and dry roads. Now, the Estevan Police Service is asking motorists to stay safe today and to slow down.
"Just because your vehicle has all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive, it lets you go and get through the snow and start easier, but it does not aid in your stopping. So, you have to keep your distance [and] keep your speed to a reasonable level so that you're able to stop and not rear-end somebody that is taking evasive action or stopping themselves," said Constable Craig Bird with the Estevan Police Service.
He added that motorists need to be driving to the conditions of the road, which could mean disobeying the speed sign and driving slower.
"You have to pay attention to your surroundings and drive for the road conditions. You can also get a ticket for driving too fast for road conditions and, you know, it doesn't have to be the speed limit. Maybe today with the slushiness of the roads and the freezing that's underneath, maybe the maximum speed for example would be about 30 kilometers just so that you can stop in time. It's based on the weather conditions, based on the road conditions. Depending on what type of tires that you have on your vehicle as well will necessitate how fast that you can travel and still stop safely," Bird added.
These warnings aren't just for driving within city limits. He noted that highways will be slick due to the upcoming freeze-thaw cycle as well.
"The road conditions and the highway conditions aren't optimal and you need to take a little bit of extra time to be able to stop if you have to in an emergency or to avoid something that's on the roadway. Just because the speed limit's 100 kilometres [per hour] on the highway or 50 kilometres in town doesn't mean that you need to travel that fast because it may not be safe and you may not be able to stop in time."
Southeast Saskatchewan is expected to see warm temperatures during the day and freezing temperatures overnight, which poses risks for any motorists who are looking to travel long distances for the next few days. You can stay up-to-date with weather conditions any time with the CARSTAR Hail-Otto Weather Page. The roads can be unpredictable at the best of times, but you can stay ahead of the weather before you venture out with the Trent's Tire Road Reports link.