Heavy snowfall in Prince Albert saw over 40 drivers need to call CAA for a winch. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

CAA Tow Calls

CAA called to tow over 40 drivers out of snowbanks

Feb 1, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Calls for assistance to CAA have been fairly common in the Prince Albert area this winter as colder temperatures and heavy snow have left motorists stranded more often than usual. Last night marked another influx of calls.

With the snowstorm blowing through much of the province yesterday, CAA’s phone operators were kept busy right through the evening and into the morning. Prince Albert actually got off lightly compared to much of the rest of the province.

“Between last night at about 7:00 to 8:00 at night and today about 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., there were only 52 calls,” said Christine Niemczyk, CAA’s director of corporate communications. “Compared to the rest of the province, that isn’t a huge volume but that still means that we had had CAA members that required roadside assistance.”

Earlier this winter, the calls for assistance were primarily for battery boosts as arctic air settled in over, not just Prince Albert, but most of the western half of the country. This time, however, battery boost calls were distinctly outnumbered by another request.

“Out of those calls, 45 were for winches, which means the vehicle was stuck in the snow and they needed a tow to get out of a snowbank,” Niemczyk said. “Because of the huge amount of snowfall and the wind, I know in southern Saskatchewan the wind was around 80 kilometers (per hour) by 10:00 at night, probably the same for most of the province.”

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Of course, calls for battery boosts may be soon to increase. Wednesday and Thursday this week are both shaping up to be extremely cold, especially in the morning, and extreme cold warnings may be on the way.

“Now we do have colder temperatures,” said Niemczyk. “That just shows you how often the weather does change in Saskatchewan. We’re going from battery boost period to, oh my goodness, I’m stuck in the snow, now what?”

Niemczyk reminded people that if they do need to call CAA for help, they should be patient as call volumes have been high. She also said people will get calls from CAA when help is en route.

“For those who are waiting for roadside assistance, make sure you’re staying indoors,” Niemczyk said. “The temperature, as we talked about, is getting colder. So make sure you’re indoors. Stay in your vehicle, it does provide temporary shelter until help arrives.”

Niemczyk also said there were some calls they had to wait until morning to get to as the highways were closed in many cases.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP