Summer storms smack Sask. with hail, heavy rain

Tuesday brought another round of severe storms to Saskatchewan.

Isolated thunderstorms popped up in the afternoon and evening, bringing large hail, heavy rain and intense lighting.

“Large hail was the name of the game Tuesday, ” said Environment Canada’s Brad Vrolijk.

“Lots and lots of reports of hail to the size of quarters. A few reports of up to toonies and few reports of hail the size of golf balls.”

One of the hard-hit areas was west of Saskatoon around Macklin and Denzil.

Hail stones near Denzil on July 30, 2019. (Chester Ouellette/Facebook)

Macklin regional park employee Jessica Gartner said nickel sized hail coated fields and caused damage in the park.

“All of our ball diamonds are flooded with rain and our golf course just looks pure white,” she told 650 CKOM. “It tore apart a lot of the branches in the campground. Everybody’s vehicles are covered in hail.”

The village of Mistusinee on Lake Diefenbaker was hit with loonie- to ping pong-sized hail, according to councillor Bruce Dorward.

It’s the second time in just over two weeks the community has taken a direct hit from Mother Nature.

Dorward said that this time the damage wasn’t as bad. Still, he wonders how the resort community of about 60 people can be so unlucky.

“(The storm) didn’t move in from anywhere. It just appeared,” he said.

“You have to wonder, what did we did wrong to deserve this again,” he chuckled.

Heavy rain

Thunderstorms continued overnight resulting in heavy rainfall warnings issued for eastern Saskatchewan early Wednesday morning.

Vrolijk said radar estimated rainfall was up to 100 millimetres between the Wadena and Kamsack areas.

Wednesday forecast

Vrolijk said Wednesday should be calmer across the province.

“We are expecting a slight chance of severe thunderstorms to redevelop late this afternoon over the far southeastern corner of the province.”