Melting Today, Blizzard Tonight!

Extreme fluctuations in temperature are often a sure sign that a storm is brewing and this formula works its magic again tonight. Highs of +2C this afternoon will briefly melt some of the slush on the roads but this lovely weather we have experienced over much of the Christmas and Boxing week season take an ugly turn later tonight. Blowing snow warnings have already been issued in the south western areas of Saskatchewan in addition to the Special Weather Statement from Environment Canada, using descriptive words such as "Drastic change in the weather coming tonight." and "snow and rapidly falling temperatures" and "Holiday travelers should be aware that road conditions are expected to deteriorate throughout tonight into Saturday morning. Gusts could be as high as 70 km/h in the Cypress Hills early Saturday morning and localized blizzard conditions are possible there." also, "In the wake of this system, bitterly cold temperatures will prevail for the weekend"It should be noted that this system, known as an Alberta Clipper is currently tracking though central Alberta now and is coming from northern BC mountain areas where heavy snowfall warnings continue through that region. This is a slow moving but powerful system. Please take extra precautions when planning any travel this weekend. Be prepared for the worst and remember that the city areas usually do not feel the full effects of these storms but as soon as you get on the highway it can go from light snow to zero visibility and black ice. Do not venture out onto highways during blizzard conditions, it is not worth the risk. Keep up to date with the latest watches and warnings from Environment Canada and STAY SAFE!

Now that I am back from lake having spent the Christmas season with family there, I want to share some of the footage from that area in north central Saskatchewan. The snow is very deep in drifts due to constant blowing snow but for the most part, snow depth is average, much less than last year.

Here is a 28 day time lapse video from the wildlife camera, notice the temperature change from -2C at the beginning of December to -36C upon arrival before Christmas. Amazing that it survived the harshest of conditions for a month straight!