Mother Nature has ruled down with an iron fist, as she has brought the wrath of winter to Moose Jaw and most of southern Saskatchewan.  

An Alberta Clipper has touched down in Moose Jaw and hasn’t pulled any punches.  

“There’s snow falling and strong winds so those two are combining to reduce visibility and blowing snow,” says Environment Canada Meteorologist, Terri Lang. “Folks should be aware of that; travel is going to be tricky through the day today and the night tonight. If people are going to head out they should check highway conditions before they do.” 

The winds will come out of the northwest on Monday that will range from 50 to 70 kilometre an hour, which will continue into the evening hours.  

Langs adds that with blowing snow, it is hard to forecast exactly how much will fall but she is estimating around six to eight centimetres to hit the area by Tuesday afternoon.  

On Sunday afternoon, Environment Canada issued a Blowing Snow Advisory in preparation for the storm surge for Moose Jaw several rural areas around the city. 

The agency noted in their advisory If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. 

Blowing snow advisories are issued when winds are expected to create blowing snow giving poor visibility to 800 metres or less for at least 3 hours. 

In a sense, the weather script was flipped for Moose Jaw, as last week residents were enjoying early fall-like temperatures with a high of around 10 degrees seen on Friday.  

“It’s going to be a big change. Behind this Clipper system, we’ll see a big push of cold air and by the end of the week, we’ll get into some pretty cold temperatures. With those cold temperatures, we’ll probably see some higher wind chills, people should be prepared for that.” 

Starting Monday through Sunday daytime highs will not get below -11 degrees. The coldest day of the week is expected to be Friday as they are forecasting a high of -20 degrees. 

Temperatures were above zero for the majority of last week, which allowed for much of the snow to melt around the city.  

Langs says that with below-zero temperatures in the forecast, the previously melted snow will turn to ice causing slick conditions on area highways.  

“If people have to travel, they should check the [Saskatchewan Highway Hotline before heading out and if they can reschedule their travel, they might consider doing that. Be prepared, make sure you have an emergency kit in your car and know what you’re doing.” 

For up-to-date road conditions visit Discover Moose Jaw's  Road Reports and Cancellations page and the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline.