Snow arrives, in bulk

[Pawistik]

After a dry winter and warm spells that decimated what little snow we had, snow has arrived on the Southern Prairies this weekend. A blizzard has hit the prairies over the past few days and I found myself in what seemed to be near the epicentre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where I was visiting for a few days. I had considered bringing my bearpaw snowshoes, but MJ is not known as a major snow destination so I left them behind. I soon regretted that decision. It's hard to say how much snow felt from Saturday morning to Monday morning since it's not so much the snow that falls, but rather the snow that blows in from the surrounding countryside driven by the very strong winds. Any place that could slow the wind enough to accumulate some snow had drifts in excess of 4 and 5 feet while windswept areas are nearly bare. I enjoyed myself going out for short walks and wallowing through the not-yet-consolidated snow. Farmyards, ditches, driveways and shelterbelts had all trapped huge quantities of snow.

The gullies and valleys of southern Saskatchewan (and North Dakota, Manitoba, Montana, southeastern Alberta) will be great places to find quantities of snow. The opportunities for quinzee building in my backyard has gone from zilch to decent.

The story back here in Saskatoon is similar, though I would guess that we received half the snow of Moose Jaw (yet somehow this city is twice as incapacitated).

I'm adding a map or two from Ag Canada showing the southern prairie region (agricultural). I think these maps will update with time.





Regions farther north have a bit more snow than we have had prior to this blizzard. A recent trip in Prince Albert National Park showed that the park has minimal snow; enough to haul a sled and enough to warrant snowshoes, but only just. Perhaps a few inches of accumulated snow. I am not certain what the northern regions received of this recent snowfall, perhaps nothing, but I am hoping for some additional snow in the region north of La Ronge before our next trip in less than three weeks.

The following map is somewhat more revealing for the North.



(These maps come from http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/drought/nl_e.htm)

Cheers,
Bryan
p.s. It's not great biking conditions so I brought the snowshoes to work today instead.

[Pawistik]

I just came from Tisdale, Saskatchewan and can report that the Land Of Rape & Honey has ample snow as a result of last weekend's snow. The northeastern regions of our province received a major dump in the blizzard last weekend. They had the sort of blizzard that keeps the jacked-up goofy looking 4x4 trucks stuck in the road a few yards from home.

OK, so if you're not from around here, you should know that "rape" is rapeseed, aka canola (more or less). This is the neck of the woods where canola was invented.

Had great fun digging tunnels in the snowbanks with the kids on Saturday out in our friend's back yard.

Cheers,
Bryan

[Mike]

Glad you clarified that.

Wish I would have that much snow when I head up to Northern Wisconsin for the Midwest Camping get togeather.