SASKATOON – There is a risk of frost Sunday morning for Saskatoon and parts of Saskatchewan. The combination of strong northwesterly winds ushering in a cool airmass, clear skies Saturday night and the rain requiring energy to evaporate is creating an optimal setup for an early frost Sunday morning in central Saskatchewan.
An area of low pressure moving in from Alberta bringing rain to Saskatchewan Friday and Saturday will usher in cooler air as it passes through.
The system building in from Alberta will strengthen as it passes through packing northwesterly winds with sustained speeds around 30 km/h and gusts into the 50 km/h range Friday night into Saturday.
10 to 25 millimetres of rain is possible across central Saskatchewan with locally higher amounts possible.
The rain is expected to taper off midday Saturday as the system clears out of the area late in the day.
As the system moves east late Saturday, skies will clear as a cold airmass ushers in well below seasonal temperatures.
The cool down began in parts of Alberta Friday with snow throughout much of the day in Banff National Park and a temperature in Calgary of 4 degrees throughout the afternoon.
READ MORE: Calgary weather: Snow, heavy rainfall on Friday
In the Saskatoon area, cloud cover should help keep the mercury near 9 or 10 degrees Saturday morning, however as the cold airmass is forced in by strong winds Saturday and skies clear out later in the day, some areas will cool close to or even below the freezing mark by Sunday morning with possible frost.
Temperatures in the city are presently projected to potentially drop as low as 2 or 3 degrees above freezing, however in frost-prone regions such as low-lying areas, the mercury may dip to or even slightly below zero Sunday morning.
Accelerating the cooling will be the presence of precipitation on the ground, which takes energy to evaporate, thus cooling the atmosphere even further.
Environment Canada recommends taking preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees.
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