Snow event declared in Saskatoon after weekend snow dump

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A full fleet of crews were cleaning up Sunday night and Monday morning in the aftermath of a weekend snow event that saw upwards of 25 centimetres accumulate on the streets of Saskatoon.

According to the City of Saskatoon, 36 graders, 15 sanders, 11 plows and five sidewalk plows “will make some good progress on the freeways and major arterials and begin to address some bus routes where snow accumulation is affecting traffic movement. Following grading, the next priority will be snow removal from downtown and school zones,” the city said Sunday night in a news release.

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By Monday morning, roughly 91 per cent of priority one streets were graded already, which includes roads like Circle Drive, College Drive and 22nd Street.

Priority two streets include double-lane streets like Clarence Ave. and Millar Ave., and priority three streets encompass roads that take you through neighbourhoods like Louise Ave.

There were substantially fewer cars and traffic on the roads during rush hour, as all Saskatoon Public and Catholic schools were closed Monday due to the snow event.

On Sunday afternoon, both school divisions said they had spoken with the City of Saskatoon and come to the the decision “to ensure the safety of all our students and staff members” while “potentially unsafe road conditions exist.”

City crews will also be able to clear the roads more quickly, since they won’t have to work around school buses or busy traffic around pick-up and drop-off zones, they noted.

“Teachers will not be connecting with students on Monday; however, we anticipate school to resume on Tuesday,” Saskatoon Public Schools said in a statement.

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools in Warman, Martensville, Humboldt and Biggar also cancelled Monday classes.

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The city also announced Monday morning that curbside collections were suspended for the day.

Garbage, recycling and green cart pickups planned for Monday were being rescheduled for Saturday, according to the city.

Residents were being asked to stay home if they can, or consider taking the city bus if they need to travel.

The city was also asking residents to clear their sidewalks within 48 hours in residential areas, and within 24 hours for business areas.

A full priority street now grading map can be found on the City of Saskatoon’s website.

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