Record low temperatures were shattered across Saskatchewan Friday.
Seventeen communities reported record lows, with several seeing temperatures dip well into the -20 C range and one even reaching under -30 C.
Val Marie, the province’s coldest spot Friday, was at -30.3 C as of 6:30 p.m. The record temperature was exactly 10 degrees colder than the village’s past record cold set in 1997.
Many communities saw similar extreme falls in temperature.
Leader’s record low of -25.7 C, for example, dropped over 11 degrees from its previous record while Eastend, dropping to -25.3 C, fell over 10 degrees from its past record.
Environment Canada said the dips in temperatures were caused by a cold Arctic high pressure ridge settling in over the western prairies.
Other communities that saw record lows included Assiniboia, Broadview, Coronach, Cypress Hills, Elbow, Lucky Lake, Maple Creek, Moose Jaw, Rockglen, Rosetown, Spiritwood, Swift Current, Watrous and Weyburn.
