A significant portion of southern and central Saskatchewan experienced a mix of rain and snowfall on Sunday, leading to power outages in several communities in the province’s east central area.
During their drive back from a Thanksgiving gathering near Saint Forte to their Tisdale apartment, Danika Prevost and her boyfriend encountered severe winds, causing visibility to drop to just a few cars ahead. Prevost described feeling the force of the wind on the steering wheel.
Upon reaching their apartment around 5 p.m., they noticed flickering lights. Shortly after, a neighbor informed them about a potentially hazardous situation with a large tree in the front yard that was making cracking sounds, indicating it might fall.
Following their neighbor’s advice, they moved their trucks just in time as branches started to break off the tree. The tree continued shedding pieces through the night, causing concern for the safety of the apartment building.
Concerned about potential impacts, Prevost and her boyfriend remained vigilant throughout the night as the power in their apartment building intermittently shut off, leaving them in the cold for extended periods.
The following morning, they woke up to find their trucks covered in snow and tree branches scattered in their front yard.
Weather Analysis
Meteorologist Dan Fulton from Environment Canada explained that the intense precipitation was the result of two storm fronts colliding over Saskatchewan. A potent low-pressure system from Montana converged with a cold front from Alberta, leading to a shift from rain to snow across the region.
East-central Saskatchewan, including areas like Hudson Bay and Wynyard, received the highest rainfall amounts, with Saskatoon and Regina receiving lesser precipitation. The transition to snow brought significant accumulations to regions like Nipawin and Kamsack.
Even northern areas such as Sandy Bay experienced heavy snowfall during the weather event.
Power Outages
SaskPower reported that over 8,000 customers, primarily in the eastern region near Melfort extending to the Manitoba border, were affected by power outages on Monday morning. Scott McGregor, a SaskPower spokesperson, attributed the outages to heavy snow turning into ice, causing stress on power lines.
While efforts were underway to restore power to the remaining 500 customers without electricity, McGregor emphasized caution around downed power lines due to the risk of live wires. He advised the public to report any such incidents and maintain a safe distance from the lines.