High winds causing power outages across Saskatchewan

SaskPower reported numerous downed powerlines, impacting customers near the Alberta and U.S. borders. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports.

SaskPower is reporting multiple outages across southern Saskatchewan as a wave of high winds descends on the province as part of the latest spring storm.

As of 1 p.m. the Crown corporation reported 10 transmission structures had been damaged in southwest portions of Saskatchewan due to severe windstorms.

The storm-related damage has impacted customers in Eastend, Robsart, Vidora, Consul, Claydon and rural areas towards the U.S. border and Alberta, according to SaskPower.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Since Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Travis Seifert said his family, who lives in Consul, has been without power.

“There’s power poles that came down,” he said. “Luckily, we got a generator so we can run a couple things. We’ve actually been without power quite a few times this winter, so it’s nothing new to us.”

• SaskPower’s outage map can be found here.

According to an Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) alert issued Wednesday, widespread westerly winds of 70 kilometres per hour (km/h) are expected to continue throughout Thursday, with gusts as high 110 km/h.

As a result, communities in the southwest of the province are expected to be without power until Friday.

Live updates to our storm coverage can be found below:

5:23 p.m. – RCMP respond to multiple vehicle, semi accidents

Saskatchewan RCMP reported various incidents of vehicle collisions in southern parts of the province from extreme winds.

Overturned semis and trailers were reported on Kalium Road near Belle Plaine, north of Regina near Township Road 184, west of Webb on Highway 1.

RCMP also responded to a two-vehicle collision involving a semi on Highway 39, south of Highway 1 near Moose Jaw.

Delays for travelling in southern parts of the province are expected as extreme winds are forecasted for Thursday evening.

Police remain on scene at the incidents and injuries are unknown.

4:55 p.m. – Unsafe repairs in Weyburn area

As of 4:56 p.m., SaskPower confirmed crews are unable to provide a timeline to how long repairs will take in Weyburn, as well as Creelman and Heward due to unsafe wind conditions to “remove a tree” from the powerline.

4:00 p.m. – Crews sent further southeast

Communities without power have stretched further southeast of the province.

A planned outage for people south of Bredenbury, Churchbridge and surrounding customers are expected between 4:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as SaskPower crews were sent to the rural area north of Esterhazy for an emergency repair of a damaged crossarm.

Crews have also been sent to Carlyle, Gainsborough and Carievale to investigate outages.

3:40 p.m. – Regina sees outage

At 3:40 p.m., SaskPower crews were dispatched to Wood Meadows, Windsor Park, The Greens, and Gardiner Height areas of the city after power outages were reported.

All surrounding rural areas including White City and Balgonie were also impacted.

The cause and repair time for the outages reported in Regina are being determined.

3:15 p.m. - More power outages reported

The list of power outages continues to grow as high winds batter much of southern Saskatchewan.

In Regina, outages cover much of Regina’s north and west ends. A large area north of the city, including Lumsden, Craven, Edenwold and Chamberlain, also reported no power.

Other outages include the area both west and south of Moose Jaw, Weyburn and its surrounding region, extending south to the U.S. border and the area around Moose Mountain Provincial Park, including the communities of Carlyle, Kennedy, Langbank and Wawota.

These outages follow widespread incidents in southwest Saskatchewan.

2 p.m. - Dust storm warning issued

At 2:06 p.m. ECCC issued a dust storm warning for much of southeast and south central Saskatchewan. The warning area includes the communities of Coronach, Weyburn, Estevan, Carlyle, Carnduff among others.

Strong westerly winds are expected to produce poor visibility thanks to blowing dust.

The winds are expected to lessen Thursday evening, according to ECCC.

11 a.m. - SaskPower acting fast, safely

Joel Cherry, a spokesperson for SaskPower, told CTV News crews are working towards repairing the damaged transmission structures.

“We were able to restore some communities through switching, but the community of Eastend is fed only by the line that’s damaged and so we need to complete repairs there before we can restore power,” Cherry said Thursday morning.

As the high winds are expected to continue throughout the day on Thursday, Cherry added safety for workers also remain top priority.

“High winds especially, but also wet conditions can hinder restoration attempts,” he said. “For example, our crews have gotten into the area … We’re doing everything we can to secure the site and do the work that we can do at ground level, but repairs that require a bucket truck to do, we’re not able to do safely until the winds subside a little bit.”

What’s causing the major winds?

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with ECCC, said the cause of major windstorms are because of a “deep low pressure system” that has come from Alberta.

“It’s deepening rapidly, which is what causes the really, really strong winds. We don’t often see winds this strong, but in the in the spring, it’s more common than not,” Lang explained.

“We also have a big push of cold air coming in from the Arctic. When you combine the really warm air that we had the last couple of days and some cold air, and a rapidly deepening low pressure system, that’s when you have that combination for really strong winds.”

Those in the area are encouraged to take necessary precautions and monitor SaskPower for further updates.

With files from Blair Farthing