App Goes Live / Here Comes Spring

Our new "Canadian Prairie Storms (v1)" Blackberry Application is now available in the BlackBerry World web store as of today for FREE! Be sure to download it before summer storm season starts as the price is subject to change, for now it is available for free, supported by the usual Google ads. This first version includes stories posted on this blog as well as "Category" links to YouTube video uploads and photos. This is the first version and will be improved upon as time allows. Feel free to comment, lend suggestions and help test the app in this BETA version stage. It is currently ONLY available to BlackBerry Smartphone, Playbook and Z10 users.

CLICK HERE FOR THE APP!

In other news, our big snow storm over the weekend was a big bust for the cities of Edmonton, Regina and Saskatoon as the system narrowly missed the major centres.

Video of the snow just beginning to fall in downtown Regina Sunday afternoon.

 Calgary, Swift Current, Medicine Hat and Brandon all got slammed with heavy snowfall. Many highways in Saskatchewan were marked as "Not Recommended  or even closed for a time on Sunday. The Number 1 highway west of Moose Jaw as well as the main highway between Saskatoon and Regina the Number 11 was also closed due to tractor trailers jack knifing and car littering the ditches.

Waiting for the storm that never came...

Snow Covered Highways On Monday

 Remember to always check the Highway Hotline before venturing out onto the highways in winter!

7:10pm Radar Image Sunday, March 3 

 Here in Regina, a twitter storm was started with the tweet:

 "@jaredmysko: Nobody should be on highways in S. Sask, anyone who is puts tow truck and fire dept rescue at risk."

After many replies and retweets, I feel it is important to stress that the point of that tweet was to encourage people not to take chances on the roads during a severe winter storm, especially after getting word that tow truck drivers were told not to go on the highway until it cleared up. I didn't mention EMS, paramedics, RCMP, or first responders so as not to clog of their timelines. I know they are all busy and I thank them for what they do.

As for the weather, it seems the heaviest snowfall hit mostly rural areas which is going to increase the risk of spring flooding and that could start as early as this coming weekend. Temperatures are forecast to jump well above freezing with bright sunshine and light winds. All this moisture is going to boil fast so expect a very active spring. This may not be the last of the major snowfall events in March and severe thunderstorms could be only a few weeks (and a lot of melting) away.

Thanks, Stay Safe and Enjoy the Weather!

Jared Mysko

Oklahoma Blizzard/SK Ski Bike Jump

Heavy snow and high winds are causing blizzard conditions in areas of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas today as a major winter storm deposits large amounts of moisture over the southern plain states. On Sunday Temperatures dropped from the 50s F down below freezing and into the 20s F shocking residents there. Amarillo, Texas reports 19 inches of snow on the ground. A state of emergency has been declared in 56 counties of Oklahoma as the system moves into southern Kansas. Blizzard warnings stretch across the Texas panhandle, north west Oklahoma, south central Kansas, and winter storm warnings are now up for most of Missouri, eastern Iowa and north western Illinois.

(check privacy settings for viewing videos from Facebook)
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Reed Timmer: Meteorologist and Extreme Storm Chaser

EXTREME blizzard footage from the Dominator 2 plowing roads and standing in 5 foot snow drifts near Woodward! 14-16" at least already!"



Meanwhile in Saskatchewan, people are enjoying warm temperatures and trying new ways to fool around in the snow. Check this video from today of a 'ski bike' jump:
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Corey Brown shared Landon Parenteau's video.

So amped! I stomped a tailwhip on ski bike!!!!!"

NEW Absolutely incredible tornado video from Hattiesburg, MS EF4

Very precise handling and smart call on the end..great professional work by BaseHunters chaser Scott Peake:

Update: Mississippi, Alabama Tornadoes - 87 Injuries

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma has listed 15 confirmed tornadoes from yesterday with a total of 87 injuries in tornadoes across Mississippi and Alabama. To check the full reports page click here...

Also, the Hattiesburg, Alabama long track tornado has been rated EF-4 with winds estimated at 170mph! 

Tornadoes Hit Mississippi and Alabama Hard Today

With 13 confirmed tornadoes, some violent and heavily damaging, it will be a relief to know that no severe weather is predicted across Canada or the USA for the next 4 to 8 days at least. The monthly full moon cycle has wiped up some powerful stuff over the past few days. 5 injuries have been reported in today's tornadoes already and 15 fatalities plus nearly a million without power due to the snow storm that hit the north east Atlantic coast some calling it "Snow Storm Nemo". States of Mississippi and Alabama are still under tornado watches but the worst seems to have passed.

Here is one of many tornado videos posted today: