Severe thunderstorm warning lifted for Saskatoon area

It was another day of unsettled weather across Saskatchewan on Saturday.

The province had tornado warnings as well as severe thunderstorm warnings and severe thunderstorm watches.

At 5:15 p.m., Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Saskatoon.

According to the weather service, its meteorologists were “tracking a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing very strong wind gusts, up to nickel-sized hail and heavy rain.” The storms stretched from Martensville to Dundurn and were moving northeast at 20 kilometres per hour.

Pictures from Louise Street on Saskatoon’s east side near Market Mall show a flooded roadway.

Louise Street near Market Mall on June 3, 2023. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

That warning eventually was lifted. As of 7:15 p.m., the only severe thunderstorm warning in the province was for the areas around Chamberlain, Dilke, Holdfast, Imperial and Liberty.

At 12:45 p.m., Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for the Rural Municipality of Wood River, southwest of Moose Jaw. The communities of Lafleche, Woodrow and Maleval were mentioned in the warning.

Just after 1 p.m., the warning was extended to include areas around Gravelbourg and Bateman.

The weather service lifted the warnings just before 1:30 p.m.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for areas across the province throughout the afternoon. There also were severe thunderstorm watches in place for areas around the southern half of the province.

“A hot, humid, and unstable airmass will lead to the development of thunderstorms during the day over Saskatchewan. Some of these thunderstorms may become severe. These thunderstorms will be slow-moving, which can lead to localized flooding due to heavy rain.”

More information is available here.