'Long way from the finish line': Sask. residents weigh in on sudden blast of wintry weather
It’s no surprise in Saskatchewan that sometimes winter can extend right into spring —and that was the reality for many across the province when they woke up Wednesday morning.
Most are taking this last shot of winter in stride, while farmers welcome the moisture.
Those CTV News spoke to didn’t mind the abrupt return to winter, like Saskatoon resident Vicky Xil.
“I think it’s nice to have a little bit of snow, because we had a warm winter this year so snow I feel like it’s good,” she said.
Her small daughter, however, didn’t feel quite as certain.
“I like it a little bit, but it’s pretty cold,” she said.
Tobin Kirkness was out in shorts Wednesday afternoon in downtown Saskatoon and forgot his jacket at home, which he regretted, but he wasn’t too concerned about the snow.
“It will be gone in three days,” he said.
But with snow falling overnight and into Wednesday, Saskatchewan highways were in less than ideal shape, with travel advisories updating throughout the day due to wet, drifting snow and poor visibility.
Shawn Colborn has a mixed farm near Delisle with 12,000 acres of grains, pulse crops and oil seeds, as well as cattle and chickens — so he sees the snow from a different perspective.
“It’s definitely positive, but a long way from the finish line. We’re going into this year excessively dry, and this will at least help us get this crop started,” Colborn said.
After four years of drought, he admits this snow won’t be enough, and they’re counting on a lot of rain in spring and summer.
“Risk management tools that we have are adequate but they’re not designed for another year or two of drought, so it’s definitely top of mind, the weather.”
Saskatchwan’s Water Security Agency (WSA) reports very little rain or snow fell in the southwest part of the province and in the southeast, it stopped in the early afternoon.
Sean Osmar with the agency tells CTV News,
“The biggest potential remains in the areas north of Yorkton and Nipawin where runoff had only recently started and there was already a healthy snowpack before additional snows fell. Further north where the snowfall is currently heaviest will likely see the biggest impact,” said WSA spokesperson Sean Osmar.
Depending on how the temperatures warm up later this week and next, Osmar expects to have a better picture of runoff. If there’s a rapid warming then we can expect quicker runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes. If the warmup is slower than typical, that water would absorb into the soil.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi found dead at helicopter crash site, state media says
Iranian president, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after a search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.