The bulk of the province has been clinging to the final days of summer as parts of Alberta and northern Saskatchewan have been battered by an early snowfall.
Now, it looks like it’s our turn to welcome the white stuff.
“This is a little bit early, but it isn’t rare for us to see snow, especially towards the end of September,” Global Meteorologist Tiffany Lizee said.
Communities across the central part of the province will get a double whammy of particularly slushy snow over the weekend, with Kindersley expecting about five to 10 centimetres overall.
Further south, Regina will only be clipped by the weather.
“We got calls when the forecast kind of got that way in the past couple of days,” Kal Tire regional sales manager Geoff Wiebe recalled.
While temperatures will bounce back to the low teens next week, many are already looking to get their winter tires on ahead of the mid-October rush.
“Once the average temperature through the day and night hits seven degrees Celsius, that’s definitely the time where your typical all-seasons start to lose some of their elasticity and effectiveness,” Wiebe explained.
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A potential mess on the roads could also extend to the field.
Saskatchewan Agriculture says about 62 per cent of this year’s crop is in the bin, but the expected snow and rain could affect quality.
“It all depends on how long that field or that crop is left out for before the combine can get to it,” Crops extension specialist Daphne Cruise said. “Typically we see things like bleaching or staining of pulses and cereals.”
While the snow isn’t here for the long haul, it’s not uncommon to get a taste of winter during the first official days of fall on the prairies.
“Back in 1972 on September 25, we had 10 cm of snowfall on the ground,” Lizee added. “In the past ten years we have seen some snow accumulating on the ground in the month of September, but it typically doesn’t stick around very long.”
We still have a picturesque fall ahead, but it might be time to start digging out boots and jackets.
Consider this weekend a test run for the winter to come.
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