A slow meltdown of snow means a slower rise in temperatures. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Snow Delaying Warm Weather

Warmer temperatures on hold thanks to snow with more to come

Apr 4, 2022 | 12:00 PM

Spring may have officially arrived as of late-March in Saskatchewan, but the boost in temperature that comes with it has taken a little extra time to arrive in Prince Albert. According to Environment Canada, you can blame the snow for that.

A heavy snowpack that hung around due to the unusually cold winter is keeping temperatures below-average for this time of year. The airport measured a depth of snow still at 30 centimetres despite the sunshine and temperatures above zero.

“Some really nice temperatures trying to move in,” said Terri Lang, regional meteorologist with Environment Canada. “You guys have such a heavy snowpack that it’s restricting the temperatures from getting much higher. Places that will be to the south of you, outside of the snowpack will get much warmer.”

Not only is the snow holding back the warmer weather, but there may be more of it on the way. A rain-snow mix is likely in the forecast for tomorrow and possibly Friday as well. The good news is, the little snow there is won’t accumulate, and the rain will help melt the snow we have.

“Once it (the snow) goes you get warmer and warmer temperatures, theoretically,” said Lang. “You can feel the sun when you’re sitting in your car now, it starts to get warm. So the sun is there, but a lot of the heat and energy is being bounced away because of all the snow.”

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According to Environment Canada, average highs for this time of year are around 7 C, a mark we haven’t quite hit yet, though we’re on track to do so around Friday. The general weather forecast called for a slightly cooler spring, and so far we’ve seen just that.

“La Nina is still hanging out in the south Pacific,” Lang said. “It is weakening, but because it’s still there it’s still affecting temperatures over Saskatchewan and Western Canada. We are expecting a cooler than average spring, but for the most part no precipitation pattern.”

With the cold air to the north still lurking close by, Lang said April is typically a volatile month for weather. Case in point: the southwestern part of the province where it’s already much warmer is looking at hundred-kilometre-per-hour winds later this week.

Lang added it’s been a long winter for the prairies, and one with an unusual amount of snow, so most people will be glad to see spring’s arrival, even if it is gradual. She also said the snow in Prince Albert will melt the fastest on days where it doesn’t get below zero at night, and there are two such days in the seven-day forecast.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP