The summer storm season is underway in Saskatchewan with 19 tornadoes confirmed by Environment Canada, and three possible touchdowns.
Each year about 18 tornadoes are confirmed in the province, though the number of unreported tornadoes — as a result of not being seen — is likely higher.
Tornado season across the Prairies runs from April through to September.
Of the 19 confirmed tornadoes that touched down in the province, ten were landspout, nine were supercellular.
A landspout tornado is circulation created by updrafts and heat rising from the surface. The column of swirling air starts on the ground and can build up towards the sky. These tornadoes are usually weak and cause minor damage.
A supercell tornado is produced by supercell storm system or severe thunderstorm. The cell forms a wall cloud which lowers towards the surface and spawns a vortex of violently rotating winds. These tornadoes can be intense, dangerous and cause a lot of damage.
July 22, 2018: Landspout tornado
An EF-0 landspout tornado reportedly touched down on July 22 near Langenberg.
July 10, 2018: Tornado outbreak
Eight supercellular tornadoes touched down on July 10 between 3:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: 15 km west of Golden Prairie, Sask. at 3:30 p.m.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: 25 km northwest of Val Marie at 5:05 p.m.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: northeast of Val Marie, Sask. at 5:45 p.m
- EF-1 supercell tornado: near Ferland, Sask. at 6:00 p.m.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: 45 km southwest of Wood Mountain, Sask. at 6:25 p.m. (on the ground for 10 minutes)
- EF-2 supercell tornado: 20 km south of Wood Mountain, Sask. at 6:45 p.m. (on the ground for over 30 minutes)
- EF-0 supercell tornado: 6 km north of the Scobey-Coronach International border crossing at 7:30 p.m.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: 5 km from Fife Lake at 7:37 p.m.
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July 9, 2018: Landspout and supercell tornadoes
There were three confirmed and one possible tornadoes on the afternoon of July 9.
- EF-0 landspout tornado: near Cantuar, Sask. around 3:20 p.m.
- EF-0 landspout tornado: north of Swift Current, no time was specified.
- EF-0 supercell tornado: near Herbert, Sask. around 4:10 p.m.
There was a possible supercell tornado near Coronach, Sask. around 5:30 p.m., but at this time there is insufficient evidence to confirm that a tornado has touched down.
July 3, 2018: Landspout tornado
A landspout tornado was spotted near Otthon, Sask. for about a minute on July 3.
Environment Canada confirmed the touchdown was between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and because there was no damage, the tornado was ranked an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Watch below: Tornadoes in Saskatchewan that were captured on video in 2018.
June 29, 2018: Possible landspout tornado
A possible landspout tornado was reported in the early afternoon on June 29 near Carlyle, Sask.
Environment Canada says there is insufficient evidence to confirm the touchdown.
June 24, 2018: Landspout tornado
A landspout tornado was reported near Brownlee, Sask. on June 24.
Environment Canada gave the tornado an EF-0 ranking, with no damage recorded.
June 23, 2018: Landspout tornado
Environment Canada confirmed a landspout tornado touched down around at 5:40 p.m. near Griffin, Sask. on June 23.
It was reportedly on the ground for about 11 minutes and with no damage recorded, the tornado was ranked an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
May 26, 2018: Possible landspout tornado
A possible landspout tornado was reported on May 26 near Kronau, Sask. however there is insufficient evidence to confirm the touchdown.
May 25, 2018: Landspout tornado
The tornado was spotted on May 25 at 4:30 p.m. near Aylsham, Sask. and was on the ground for a quick 2 minutes before retreating.
With no damage reported, Environment Canada ranked the landspout an EF-0.
May 24, 2018: Two landspout tornadoes
Two tornadoes touched down in southeast Saskatchewan on May 24.
- EF-0 landspout tornado: near Gerald, Sask. around 3:20 p.m.
- EF-0 landspout tornado: near Tyvan, Sask. at 4 p.m.
Both tornadoes spent around 5 minutes on the ground and no damage reported.
May 22, 2018: Landspout tornado
At 4:40 p.m. on May 22, two strong outflow boundaries collide northwest of Regina forming a small thunderstorm.
This thunderstorm intensified and eventually produced an EF-0 landspout tornado that touched down for just over a minute.
Prairie tornado count
Throughout the 2018 tornado season, Environment Canada confirmed eight tornadoes in Manitoba.
Alberta had a calmer summer with only two confirmed touchdowns and three possible.
Although both Alberta and Manitoba’s numbers were down from last year, the overall total recorded across the Prairies is up.
With Saskatchewan’s busy year of 19 tornadoes, the total count for the Prairies is 29, up four from 2017.
If you spot a funnel cloud or tornado, report it to Environment Canada by calling 1-800-239-0484, sending an email to ec.storm.ec@canada.ca or tweeting to #SKstorm.
Tornado tally: past 10 years
- 2017: 10 tornadoes
- 2016: 14 tornadoes
- 2015: 2 tornadoes
- 2014: 9 tornadoes
- 2013: 17 tornadoes
- 2012: 33 tornadoes
- 2011: 7 tornadoes
- 2010: 11 tornadoes
- 2009: 6 tornadoes
- 2008: 17 tornadoes
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