Highway 11 (Louis Riel Trail) Road Conditions in Saskatchewan

Closures and road work are not yet imported for Saskatchewan; Highway Hotline carries them. No weather warnings from Environment and Climate Change Canada are in force as of Sep 20, 2026 4:18 AM CST.

Segments and what to expect

Highway 11 is not one road in winter but three, and the names below are the ones drivers and Highway Hotline use for them. The elevations are the province's own, from its cameras at the places named.

1. Regina to Davidson from 578 m

   North out of Regina past Lumsden, up out of the Qu'Appelle valley and across the open plain through Chamberlain and Craik: the valley slopes are the one place on the road a car gets stuck on a hill.

2. Davidson to Saskatoon to 504 m

   Kenaston, Hanley, Dundurn and into the city: divided the whole way, and as exposed to a west wind as the Trans-Canada.

3. Saskatoon to Prince Albert 504 m → 428 m

   Through Duck Lake and the Batoche country into the parkland and the edge of the forest: more shelter, more snow, and the Prince Albert Airport station is the snowiest of the province's four on this site.

Closures that have shaped Highway 11

Not a log of every hour Highway Hotline has shut a lane — the events that say what kind of road this is, each with the source it comes from.

• 6 February 2025

  Highway 11 out of Regina was closed with Highway 1 on 6 February 2025 for zero visibility in blowing snow, as the Highway Hotline reported. Source: CTV News Regina, 6 February 2025.

Alternate routes when Highway 11 is closed

• If Highway 11 between Regina and Saskatoon is closed: Highway 1 to Moose Jaw, then Highway 2 north to Chamberlain — about 30 min longer than the direct road when both are open, 298 km against 259 km. West to Moose Jaw and north on Highway 2 to rejoin the 11 at Chamberlain: a real alternative for a closure at Lumsden or Craik, and no help at all when the whole plain is blowing.

Distances and times are measured over openrouteservice on a clear road; a closure day is not one, because the detour carries the closed road's traffic too. What is closed right now is on Highway Hotline ↗.

Related roads

Highway 11 Winter Driving FAQ

How long is Regina to Saskatoon on Highway 11?

About 260 km and 2 h 50 min on a clear road as openrouteservice measures it, centre to centre, divided highway the whole way. In a ground blizzard the Highway Hotline closes it — it went with Highway 1 on 6 February 2025 — and the RCMP's advice is to stay in whichever city you are in.

Do I need winter tires on Highway 11?

Not by law; Saskatchewan has no winter tire requirement. With January averaging −15.5 °C at Saskatoon and 27 days below freezing, the surface is packed snow and sand from December to March, and about half the province's drivers choose them anyway.

Is the Louis Riel Trail the same road as Highway 11?

Yes: the whole of Highway 11 was named the Louis Riel Trail in 2001 for the Métis leader and the sites of the 1885 Resistance along it — Batoche and Duck Lake are just off the road north of Saskatoon.