Climate

Climate in Southeast Saskatchewan

The Province of Saskatchewan is positioned near the center of the North American continent and therefore has as a “continental climate”, meaning that the temperature changes vastly among seasons.

On average, Saskatchewan has 211 days per year when the temperature drops below freezing; however, in the south east area of the province, the number of frost-free days can be as high as 124 days.  Saskatchewan is also the sunniest province in Canada, with Estevan in southeastern Saskatchewan being known as the ‘Sunshine Capital of Saskatchewan’, receiving an average of 2,536.6 hours of sunshine every year.

Generally speaking, the south east part of Saskatchewan has a semi-arid climate with warm summers (on average 20 – 32 degrees Celsius) and cold winters ranging from -10 to -25 on average but sometimes dipping to as low as -35 Celsius.

Annual precipitation is approximately 445 millimetres (330 millimetres in the form of rainfall; the remaining 115 millimetres is snow); however, precipitation can vary greatly depending on the year.  2011 will be one of the wettest years in record in south east Saskatchewan.

The warm, sunny climate of south east Saskatchewan makes it an ideal location for agricultural cropping and outdoor recreation; winter sunshine creates ideal conditions for snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

Local Weather Information:
http://www.recreationsaskatchewan.com/saskatchewan_weather/

Environment Canada – short term forecasts:
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/textforecast_e.html?Bulletin=fpcn13.cwwg

Road Conditions:
http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/road-conditions/