It looks like the southwest will be receiving the first taste of winter soon this weekend, and with changes in weather comes changes on road conditions.

This weekends forecast calls for cold weather and flurries.

Tyler McMurchy, manager of media of relations with SGI, said people should keep an eye out on the weather.

"I think one of the things that people should be aware of is what the conditions they are going to be encountering when they are out on the roads, so keep an eye what the weather forecast is, where you are and where your heading."

He also mentioned to check out the highway hotline to find road conditions you need to be aware of, as well as staying calm when encounter snow as this is something that happens every year.

"It looks like it's happening a bit early then we'd like here in Saskatchewan this year, but this is something we deal with every year," McMurchy said."So slow down and travel the speed that is appropriate for the road conditions and understand when the snow is falling road conditions can change quickly, and the last thing you want is to be suddenly going way too fast."

Posted speed limits are for ideal road conditions, McMurchy says you need to change your speed with the weather because you may not be able to tell the hazards of the road.

"It does take some adjusting for people when they have to suddenly switch to there winter driving skills, but the key things to remember is to slow down to a speed that is appropriate for the road conditions."

McMurchy said people should leave plenty of distance between yourself and vehicles when road conditions call for it. He also suggests having your headlights turned on so you can be seen in low visibility.

"One of the things that we also recommend is planning ahead, and that means giving yourself plenty of time to get where you're going so leaving in plenty of time so don't feel rushed and tempted to drive at a speed that is not safe for the road conditions."

As winter is on its way, it is never to early to be prepared.

"For the winter we do say we recommend keeping your car packed with extra warm clothes or blankets," McMurchy said. "Supply of candles and matches. You could have non-perishable food as well and a candle to meltwater, booster cables, a shovel to dig yourself out of a snowy ditch if necessary and some of those items can really make [the differencee] if you find yourself stuck in a ditch in particularly bad snowy blizzard conditions. They can really make a difference in terms of helping you be prepared."

He said keeping an emergency kit in your vehicle to help aid in the event of getting stuck or finding yourself stranded.

"Remain inside the vehicle because it will offer you protection from harsh winter weather make sure you are safely off the roadway, of course, you'll want to run your engine sporadically to get some heat, but you don't want to run out of gas, but that's why we do recommend keeping blankets or sleeping bags or extra clothing to help protect you from the cold weather."

He also goes on to say respect and share the roads with emergency vehicles and be patient with them.

McMurchy said to avoid using cruise control and suggest winter tires for winter road conditions.

"We recommend not using cruise control in slippery conditions because that can cause your tires to spin and cause you to lose control of the vehicle. It's never to early to start thinking about investing in a set of winter tires if that makes sense for you they do provide improved traction on a winter road surfaces so it might be a little bit early for that, but people probably want to start thinking about getting the winter tires on in the coming months."

While we will be getting a taste of winter weather, Swift Current will be back into fall weather by Wednesday.