While Saskatchewan has enjoyed some warm temperatures over the last month, it is not yet spring in the province as more snow is on the way.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the southern half of the province, and residents can expect to see around 20 centimetres of snow on Friday into Saturday.
However, Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said those in Saskatoon and Regina will likely only see between five and 10 cm but it may feel like a blizzard with the wind.
“The big factor here are the winds,” Lang said. “The falling snow, combined with the quite strong easterly to northeasterly winds, will create probably widespread blowing snow conditions, possibly blizzard conditions, across most of southern Saskatchewan.”
Lang expects most of the province’s snowfall to occur in the southwest corner where they could see upwards of 20 centimeters of snowfall.
According to Environment Canada, a low-pressure system in Montana will spread snow into southern Saskatchewan late Friday. As the low tracks eastwards into North Dakota, snow will spread through southeastern Saskatchewan and into southern Manitoba.
And while some people might be sick and tired of the Saskatchewan winter, for others, more snow means another chance to break out the snowmobile.
- Canadian man dies during Texas Ironman event. His widow wants answers as to why
- ‘Shock and disbelief’ after Manitoba school trustee’s Indigenous comments
- Several baby products have been recalled by Health Canada. Here’s the list
- ‘Sciatica was gone’: hospital performs robot-assisted spinal surgery in Canadian first
“When you get to this point in the year, you’re really on the cusp of some of the clubs closing because as the weather warms up, their snow starts to disappear,” Leah Switzer, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Snowmobile Association, said.
“Getting this hit of snow in March extends our season and it keeps their trails open longer and it keeps everybody out riding.”
Switzer said overall, the snow in Saskatchewan has led to a very good riding season.
“We have 53 clubs throughout the province that host about 11,000 kilometres of trail and it is almost 100 per cent open,” she explained. “Everybody’s had good snow conditions and honestly, everybody’s been happy. The clubs have been happy, and the riders seem to be happy.”
Across the province, snowmobile users are required to register their snowmobile to ride off their own private land. Switzer said over 20,000 sleds have been registered, which is higher than in previous years.
So while some may be sad to see more snow on the way, it is a time to celebrate for those hoping for one more ride this season.
With more snow and wind on the way, Lang is cautioning those hitting the highway.
“Travel on weekends in Saskatchewan in the winter is a big thing,” Lang said. “There are hockey tournaments, ringette tournaments all that kind of stuff. So people should heed the warnings. Check the forecast and check the highway conditions before venturing out.”
Comments