Cloudy skies and cooler weather have been the norm this week in Prince Albert, and will continue to be into next week. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Temperatures Drop

Sudden cold front sweeps Saskatchewan

Aug 20, 2021 | 10:09 AM

Almost all summer long, the entire province of Saskatchewan has seen hotter and drier weather than usual. This week and for the foreseeable future, however, the temperature has dropped seemingly out of nowhere and even brought some rain to parts of Northern Saskatchewan.

A cold front has at last broken through the heatwave and pushed through all the smoke that’s blown in from wildfires around the country. While it could bring some rain with it, there’s no doubt it will bring the temperatures down to below seasonal averages.

“The rest of the week is closer to seasonal and maybe even below seasonal values, which I don’t think I’ve said in a very long time,” said regional meteorologist Terri Lang.

Smoke may have temporarily delayed rainfall, but Lang didn’t think it would hold off the rains for long. The rain we’re getting in the forecast now is its own system and not just a natural result of all the heat we’ve had.

“The way the weather systems are, the showers that are disrupted are ones that bubble up from daytime heating,” Lang said. “The showers we’re forecasting are more associated with weather systems that are moving through, what we call synoptic weather systems, so low-pressure systems.”

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According to Environment Canada, average temperatures for northern Saskatchewan, including La Ronge, Prince Albert, Battlefords, and Melfort, are well over 20 C as the high for this time of year. All of those markets will struggle to crack the 20 C barrier today.

“We’re kind of getting into an unsettled weather pattern, which usually means there are transitory low-pressure systems moving through,” said Lang. “It’s kind of keeping those temperatures either below seasonal or at seasonal values. I guess we’ll take that over the oppressive heat which we have had plenty of this summer.”

While the low-pressure system could bring rain off and on, don’t expect a deluge in the next few days. The dry summer has left the need for thunderstorms largely unfulfilled, but the chances of any large storms this week are relatively small.

“It’s pretty darn dry, and we’re not forecasting any significant amounts of rain for right now,” said Lang. “I don’t think it’s going to make much difference. But I was just up in the Prince Albert, Waskesiu area and it gets greener the further you go north.”

The five-day forecast calls for a slight warm-up throughout the north in the middle of next week.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP