City crews hope for slow snow melt

Spring isn’t here yet, but City of Saskatoon crews are already preparing for all of the snow to melt.

Snowfall in Saskatoon was about average this year, but because the snow came so early and stuck around so long, the snow piles around the city are higher than usual.

If those piles melt quickly, it could mean a very wet spring, officials say.

“We are hoping for a cold, slow snow melt. The ones that hurt us are the flash melts,” said Mike Gutek, the city’s infrastructure services manager.

City crews will be removing snow from key drainage ditches and storm channels to help with the runoff. The city has to make sure those storm drain systems are clear so runoff water can get into the system.

“Our storm water systems are designed to handle more intense rain storms, so the melting of snow usually comes at slower pace so we aren’t too worried,” Rob Frank, the city’s strategic services manager, told reporters Thursday.

Snow on most of Saskatoon’s busiest streets has already been shipped off to dump sites outside the city, but crews are set to begin work clearing storm drains and curbside drains in those areas. Residents are encouraged to help out by making sure their neighbourhood storm basins are clear and draining properly.

“Obviously if people notice any flooding in the areas they should contact dispatch at public works, because obviously we can’t have staff at every catch basin throughout the city,” Frank said.

Frank also said residents should prepare their own homes for the soppy spring weather. The main thing, he said, is making sure water is running away from your house, not toward it.

“Homeowners still need to protect their homes by clearing snow away from their foundations, out of their window wells, extending their downspouts and making sure their eavestroughs are working properly,” Frank said.

Despite the average snowfall, the province’s Water Security Agency said earlier this month that runoff will above normal in most areas of Saskatchewan and it could be above normal in places like Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw and Yorkton.

Frank said crews will work 24 hours a day to make sure drains are clear and the water is flowing properly. Crews in Regina are also preparing themselves for the spring melt. Snowfall in that city could hit records.

From October to January there’s been a total of 52.1 millimetres of precipitation in Saskatoon, 14 per cent lower than the 30-year normal of 60.8 mm. The Saskatchewan Research Council’s climate station measures the “water equivalent” of snowfall, so the numbers don’t directly translate into snowfall measurement.