Hailstorm causes damage near Welwyn

From a snowstorm warning to a tornado warning in less than a month, southern Saskatchewan has experienced a glimpse into the extremely volatile weather the province has to offer.

On Wednesday afternoon, Environment Canada warned of a potential tornado in southeast Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border, but fortunately, the warning was lifted.

Still, a severe weather system passed through the province and went into Manitoba.

The community of Welwyn near the border was hit with hail the size of golf balls.

Milly McNarland from the nearby town of Moosomin didn’t get caught up in the storm, but she still saw its effects. Her daughter was driving her north on Highway 8 to Welwyn when they stopped at a commercial bakery.

“We actually didn’t see anything until we drove into this family’s yard where he has a little bakery there and we were picking up some things and I looked at the ground and (I said): ‘Hey guys, that is hail,’ ” she said Thursday.

“Some of them were two inches around and they were just in piles under the trees and up against his house and the car that was sitting there was full of dents and the window was broken in.”

McNarland said the man put a pillow against the car window because he was afraid of it breaking.