Assiniboians awoke to a wintry morning as September drew to a close on Sunday, September 29 with blowing snow and the risk of freezing rain later in the afternoon. A total of 10-15 cm of snow fell on Assiniboia during early Sunday morning, as the wind blew in from the northeast at 40 kilometres per hour with gusts rising to 60 kilometres. A windchill dipping to -8 C was predicted for Sunday overnight, after more periods of blowing snow mixed with strong northeast winds were expected to arrive to chill off south central Saskatchewan.
An intense low-pressure system hanging over the northwestern United States had shifted in a northeast direction, spreading snow into southwestern Saskatchewan. The snow arrived in Swift Current on Saturday evening, later moving east and affecting the Regina and Moose Jaw areas around midnight. By the time the storm reached Estevan, the precipitation changed to freezing rain.
The weather was expected to marginally improve as the week progressed, with drier weather and highs ranging from 7-10 C by Wednesday, October 2. Sunnier weather is expected for the weekend of October 5-6 with temperature highs spanning 8-10 C and overnight lows fluctuating from 1-3 C.
Travel conditions in south central Saskatchewan were also poor for motorists on Sunday, with Environment Canada warning travellers about the possibilities of experiencing localized whiteouts while on the road. Several RMs in the regions surrounding Assiniboia were issued with advisories on Sunday, including Lake of the Rivers, Stonehenge, Hart Butte, Bengough, Gravelbourg, Happy Valley, Lake Johnson, Willow Bunch, Sutton, Waverly, Wood River, Old Post and Excel.
