Weather records tumble as extreme cold grips Saskatchewan

The extreme cold weather in Saskatchewan sent temperature records tumbling over the Family Day Long Weekend.

The warnings from Environment Canada, which have blanketed the province for more than week, remained in effect on Tuesday morning across all of Saskatchewan.

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“A prolonged extreme cold event continues over southern Saskatchewan, with the region experiencing extreme wind chill values of minus 40 or lower at times,” Environment Canada said in a statement.

“While wind chill values may moderate slightly during the day, they are anticipated to return to extreme levels during the overnight period and into the morning hours.”

All of Saskatchewan was under extreme cold warnings on Tuesday morning. (Environment Canada)

On Sunday, five Saskatchewan communities saw the coldest February 16 on record:

• Assiniboia: -35.8 C (previous record was -35.5 C, set in 1989)
• Collins Bay: -43.7 C (previous record was -38.8 C, set in 2016)
• Coronach: -35 C (previous record was -34.4 C, set in 1979)
• Elbow: -37 C (previous record was -36.7 C, set in 1967)
• Key Lake: -48.7 C (previous record was -46.5 C, set in 1986)

The extreme cold got even worse on Monday during the Family Day holiday, with a total of 19 communities around the province setting cold records for Feb. 17, according to Environment Canada’s preliminary data.

The list includes both of Saskatchewan’s largest cities, and broke some records that had stood for more than a century:

• Assiniboia: -38.7 C (previous record was -34 C, set in 1989)
• Collins Bay: -43 C (previous record was -39.4, set in 2022)
• Coronach: -39.8 C (previous record was -33 C, set in 2001)
• Elbow: -40.1 C (previous record was -35 C, set in 1989)
• Indian Head: -40.4 C (previous record was -40 C, set in 1903)
• Key Lake: -48.8 C (previous record was -42.2, set in 2022)
• Last Mountain Lake: -42.9 C (previous record was -37 C, set in 1989)
• Lucky Lake: -36.8 C (previous record was -32 C, set in 1979)
• Meadow Lake: -39.9 C (previous record was -37.6 C, set in 1990)
• Moose Jaw: -39.2 C (previous record was -36.7 C, set in 1927)
• Regina: -40.4 C (previous record was -38.9 C, set in 1927)
• Rockglen: -36.4 C (previous record was -33.7 C, set in 2006)
• Rosetown: -40.7 (previous record was -37.8 C, set in 1945)
• Saskatoon: -40.6 (previous record was -40 C, set in 1903)
• Spiritwood: -42.3 C (previous record was -40.6 C, set in 1967)
• Waskesiu Lake: -38.1 C (previous record was -37.8 C, set in 1966)
• Watrous: -40.9 C (previous record was -37.8 C, set in 1967)
• Weyburn: -39 C (previous record was -36 C, set in 1989)
• Wynyard: -41.1 C (previous record was -36.1 C, set in 1966)

The good news is that the end of the lengthy cold snap is in sight.

“Temperatures will begin to moderate by Thursday with a significant warm-up expected starting Friday,” Environment Canada said.