‘Wall-to-wall Saskatchewan sunshine’: Phillips talks May weather

After a brutal winter full of extreme cold warnings and significant snowfall, many people in Saskatchewan are breathing a sigh of relief.

David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Monday that after a winter-like spring, the entire province will see above-normal temperatures with a lot of sunshine.

“My gosh, (there will be) wall-to-wall Saskatchewan sunshine,” Phillips told guest host Kevin Martel. “Look at those temperatures. We’re talking about Wednesday maybe being a dozen degrees above normal.”

Phillips added it feels like Regina skipped over spring, going straight from winter to summer.

“(Regina) went from slush to sweat,” Phillips said. “Temperatures we measure are in the shade. (If people) go out in the sun, (they) can add another seven (or) eight degrees to it.”

Phillips said Regina can expect daytime highs around 24 C on Tuesday and 28 C on Wednesday.

“They’re not going to be records, but they’re still going to be just wonderfully warm,” he said. “A temperature like that in July (would make people) complain about the heat and humidity.”

He jokingly said people should thank the Americans for the nice weather, since the air causing it comes from the U.S.

“I would imagine everybody in Saskatchewan’s got smiles from ear to ear when they feel those warm temperatures,” Phillips added.

As for a prediction of what’s in store for May weather-wise, Phillips said his weather map is coloured red for the entire province.

“(That’s) meaning warmer than normal for the whole month,” he said. “Would I go out and buy my plants at the nursery and plant them? No. I don’t want to be responsible for people having frozen pansies there. (People) still kind of have to wait a little bit.”

There could be a return of cooler weather, but if that happens, it may only last a day or two, he said.

“I think we’re also seeing some indication of a milder-than-normal summer because of El Nino,” Phillips added.

A miserable spring

Phillips confirmed Regina had the coldest March and April in about 20 years.

“What we’re seeing is this Hudson Bay vortex that’s been giving all this ‘coolish’ kind of weather,” he added. “If we took a thermometer into Regina for April, we’d come out to be about almost five degrees colder than it should be … And then in March, it was like seven degrees colder.”

According to Phillips, more snow than normal fell on the Queen City.

“Maybe 21 centimetres of snow (fell) in April. Well, normal would be seven,” he said. “That was really like the million-dollar moisture that farmers were hoping for.”

Phillips added he thinks the moisture situation in the province has dramatically improved as a result of all that snow, even though there is still a shortage.

“(People) were cursing the cold … but I think (farmers were) blessing the snow,” he said. “I always worry about this rush in temperatures. Is it going to cause any kind of flooding? That’s an issue.”