Unusually late ice breakup recorded on North Saskatchewan River

By 10 a.m. Thursday, the flow had dropped to 929 cubic metres per second. Paul expects levels to continue declining over the next 24 to 36 hours as the initial surge from the breakup passes.

However, he cautioned the seasonal rise is not over.

“It doesn’t mean later in the spring we won’t see the river rise as mountain snow starts to melt and increase those flows,” he said.

While the breakup is often welcomed as a clear marker of spring, this year’s timing is notable. According to the Prince Albert Historical Society, ice breakup in May is rare. The last time it occurred was in 1909, and since 1878 there have been only 10 instances where the ice went out after April 28 – four of those in May: May 2, 1880; May 5, 1893; May 11, 1907; and May 8, 1909.

With the dramatic movement of ice drawing attention, officials are urging the public to stay back from the river’s edge. Paul noted higher water levels and faster currents make conditions especially dangerous, while riverbanks may be unstable and slippery.

“The river is higher than what we would typically see throughout the summer and it is flowing faster than what people might be accustomed to right now, so if you did fall in you would be swept downstream fairly quickly,” he said.

A similar warning was issued Thursday by the Muskoday Volunteer Fire Department after reports of an individual walking on the ice near the Island inlet.

There are also early signs of localized impacts. paNOW has learned some flooding has occurred at the campground in Wapiti as the ice broke apart.

Earlier this week, the Water Security Agency issued a High Flow Advisory covering a large portion of the province — from northwestern Saskatchewan near Buffalo Narrows to southeastern areas near Yorkton.

The advisory includes regions around Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, Buffalo Narrows, La Ronge, Prince Albert, the Battlefords, Watrous, Melfort, Nipawin, Tisdale, Hudson Bay and Yorkton.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

by Nigel Maxwell

Unusually late ice breakup recorded on North Saskatchewan River

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