Residents in Southeast Saskatchewan have been experiencing a surprising drop in temperatures, with wind chill factors plummeting to -8°C overnight.
Danielle Desjardins, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, explains that a ridge of high pressure is responsible for the cooler air currently affecting the region. She notes, “Overnight lows are expected to be between -2°C and -5°C, and with winds of 15 to 20 kilometres per hour, that will bring a brisk wind chill.”
The chilly spell is temporary, said Desjardins, explaining, “These temperatures are a little bit below normal for this time of year, which typically sees daytime highs of around 15°C and overnight lows of +1°C.” She noted that warmer air will return soon, with overnight lows rising to around 10°C by tomorrow and highs reaching the mid-20s later next week.
“This is going to be the first hard frost, so covering plants is advisable. If you have any gardening left to do, I would suggest getting that done today,” said Desjardins. She also reminds everyone to bundle up, as the cold temperatures may come as a shock after the relatively warm weather.
This weekend we could also see some more strong winds in the area, much like we saw last weekend.
“So specifically, I believe it's Saturday. We're going to be looking at wind gusts to 80/90 KM/h in southern Saskatchewan, so yeah, and it's almost another, repeat of last weekend with those winds, but that that system tracking out relatively quickly. So, by Sunday the winds will have died down again. So, it's just kind of a one-day windy event.”
While a low-pressure system may bring some precipitation this weekend, Desjardins explained that the following week looks to be dry. “There are no strong signals predicting significant snowfall for the region anytime soon,” she adds, with warmer-than-normal temperatures expected to prevail.
Following the brief cold snap and high winds, warmer temperatures are on the horizon, allowing residents to enjoy a late taste of summer before winter truly sets in.