CAA gets 3,000 calls in one day for assistance during cold snap

SASKATOON Frigid temperatures in Saskatchewan have led to many dead vehicle batteries, flat tires and requests to be pulled out of the snow. The wait for those services could be hours.

“This is ‘be kind to your vehicle’ week. You are going to want to check everything: battery, tires, oil, whatever it takes to keep your vehicle in working condition,” said CAA Saskatchewan spokeswoman Christine Niemczyk.

On Wednesday, CAA Roadside Assistance in Saskatchewan received 3,000 calls for help; on a regular day, the usual number is around 200. Drivers were waiting two to three hours for a boost in Saskatoon before 7 a.m. on Wednesday. CAA was not giving estimated wait times as staff worked to keep up with the demand.

“It really is an all-hands-on-deck situation,” Niemczyk said, noting staff are putting in long hours, taking double shifts and going in on their days off.

CAA handles the calls as they are received, but people stranded in emergency situations get priority. If something happens and they need help, drivers should make sure they are in a safe place and are not in danger, said Niemczyk.

The ongoing cold has set a new record for natural gas usage in the province. A Saskenergy release said daily consumption has surpassed the record twice this week, breaking a record that was first set in December 2018 and matched during the February 2019 cold snap. The record days are happening more frequently because of customer growth, the release noted.

The deep freeze continues to make hypothermia a major concern for paramedics responding to calls involving patients who have been exposed to the weather, said Medavie Health Services West spokesman Troy Davies. Ambulance teams have been responding to one or two calls per shift for people with cold exposure or slips and falls.

While extreme cold warnings have been issued for the entire province, no temperature records have been broken, noted David Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“It was worse last year,” he said, but added it has been colder than normal lately. Usually at this time of year the lows are around –20 C and the highs are –10 C, nearly a 20-degree difference from this week’s –38.9 C.

This cold spell comes in the dead of winter when statistically it should be the coldest moment, Phillips said. “I always think it’s time to celebrate because it means there is more winter behind you than ahead of you.”

Weather models are showing uncertainty for the coming months, but over the next week things are expected to warm up. By Tuesday, temperatures should be around six degrees warmer than normal, with — 4 C for a high, Phillips said.

“It will feel tropical come early next week.”