Three people are dead following a fatal collision Tuesday near Swift Current.
A northbound car and a southbound SUV collided at about 3:30 p.m. on Highway 4 near the intersection of Highway 363, about six kilometres south of Swift Current, according to an RCMP news release.
The 41-year-old female driver of the car and two passengers, a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl, were declared dead at the scene. They were all from the Swift Current area, police said.
The adult male driver of the SUV was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The highway was closed following the collision but has since been reopened.
“As this investigation is in its preliminary stages, we can’t confirm if the collision is weather-related,” police said on Tuesday. “However, officers in the area have reported that there is poor visibility and roads are slippery.”
Weather conditions in the province have been causing problems for vehicles and traffic throughout the last two days.
Province’s 1st snowfall of season
Parts of southern Saskatchewan received snow Tuesday and Wednesday morning. This caused poor visibility, traffic problems and travel advisories.
The first snowfall of the season affected highways in the province, including Highway 1 in southeast Sask. (Highway Hotline)
“We can get some snowfall amounts that can be anywhere from two to five centimetres or even 15 to 20 centimetres as a first snowfall of the season,” said Stephen Berg, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.
“It’s a low pressure system that came down southern Alberta down into Montana but on the backside of it, there was quite a bit of snow that fell onto the [Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park].”
Cypress Hills received about 10 to 15 centimetres or more of snow. Regina and its surrounding areas also received some snow.
A bus slipped off Regina’s Ring Road Wednesday morning after the first snowfall of the season. (Samanda Brace/CBC)
Berg said southwestern and southern Saskatchewan received up to two centimetres of snow.
These conditions are not set to continue. Berg said the snow shouldn’t stick, as the coming forecast predicts warmer temperatures.
From Thursday to Saturday, Saskatchewan can even expect some temperatures above 10 C, which is above average for this time of year.
As for the rest of the winter, Berg predicted it won’t stay warm for long.
“This winter coming up will be a weak to moderate La Niña, the opposite of the El Niño phenomenon,” said Berg.
“That typically gives us a cooler and snowier winter. But since it’s weak to moderate it might not be as pronounced as last year’s El Niño, which was quite a strong event.”
