Saskatoon digs out after winter storm [Video]

With less than a month until the official start of spring, Saskatoon residents are digging out after a heavy winter storm that swept across much of west-central Saskatchewan.

The city received around 17 centimetres in the last 24 hours, but high winds made the drifts difficult for drivers.

“We had wind gusts at 80 kilometres per hour at the airport,” said Terri Lang, meteorologist with Environment Canada. “And when you combine falling snow and wind gusts to 80 kilometres per hour, that makes for whiteout conditions that also make for big drifts as well.”

Residents in communities on the outskirts of the city battled heavy snow accumulation on certain streets, leaving multiple vehicles stranded in the road.

School bus service was cancelled for the afternoon at Sylvia Fedoruk School, and City of Saskatoon garbage collection was delayed in some neighbourhoods due to the snow.

The city says it has been …