Roads across Melfort and other areas are incredibly icy thanks to the warm, windy, and rainy conditions over the past few days. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Icy conditions persist

City of Melfort trying to deal with icy conditions on roads, sidewalks

Jan 16, 2026 | 2:05 PM

The icy conditions around towns and cities in the province are making walking and driving a difficult task.

Melfort’s Director of Public Works Kalyna Cipywnyk told northeastNOW that ice build-up is a challenging aspect of road maintenance during the winter, especially with the recent extreme temperature fluctuations.

“The crews focus their attention on clearing the high traffic intersections and the highways of ice as it is at these locations that we see the most issues and potential for vehicle accidents,” Cipywnyk said.

“The biggest challenge is determining when it is appropriate to apply sand/salt versus scraping down the ice, as these methods are more effective in different types of weather.”

Cipywnyk said City crews focus their efforts on clearing high traffic intersections of ice and applying the salt and sand mixture to the streets during off-peak driving hours. That gives the substance enough time to make contact with the ice. She said crews also watch the weather conditions closely and will try to sand and salt the roads when it aligns with the City’s snow clearing policy.

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The warm, rainy weather has meant crews had to shift the focus from snow removal to ice management.

“This shift usually happens in the ‘shoulder seasons’ of late fall and early spring, but our team is up for the challenge,” Cipywnyk said.

The City is asking residents to take care while driving and walking around the city due to the icy conditions. According to Cipywnyk, they have not experienced any major issues so far this year with either pedestrians or drivers being involved in traffic accidents.

Cipywnyk said sand and salt mixture is deployed to improve traction for vehicles, with the salt melting the snow and ice enough for the sand to stick. When the temperature falls, it requires longer contact with the ice to melt it sufficiently.

“This longer activation timeframe in cold weather means that there is a higher chance of the sand and salt mixture being pushed away from the driving lanes by traffic, which reduces the effectiveness of the mixture.”

Residents who spot dangerously icy conditions on roads or sidewalks can contact the City at city@melfort.ca or by calling City Hall at 306-752-5911. That report will be forwarded to road crews, and they will try to rectify the issue. Cipywnyk said the City thanks everyone for their cooperation and patience with snow removal and ice management efforts.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com