Blizzards, smoke, drought and flooding: Here are Sask.'s top 5 weather stories of 2023

From thick wildfire smoke, to 60 centimetres of snow in a single storm, to a rare lack of tornados and record-breaking drought, here are Saskatchewan’s top five weather stories from 2023.

A SNOW DUMPING TO REMEMBER

Environment Canada says Weyburn received 60 centimetres of snow during April's storm. (Courtesy: Discover Weyburn)

Usually during mid-to-late April, people plan their spring planting and check to see if their summer clothes from the year before still fit. This past April, however, many in southeastern Saskatchewan were figuring out how to get around after as much as 60 centimetres of snow was dumped on them from a single storm.

Officials in the Weyburn area called the weather event an unprecedented storm. The Weyburn area is where most of the snow fell.

• Some areas in southeast Sask. saw 60 centimetres of snow in latest storm, Environment Canada says

The Qu’Appelle area saw about 30 centimetres of snow and Regina saw around 20 from the same system.

NO TORNADOES

The first and only confirmed tornado in Saskatchewan in 2023 was recorded near Regina on May 27. (Photo source: Twitter / Craig Boehm)

In 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) confirmed 25 tornadoes in Saskatchewan, the highest total since 2012. In 2023, however, ECCC confirmed only one tornado in Saskatchewan as of Sept. 1, the lowest total in recent memory.

• Here's why Sask. saw virtually no tornadoes this year

The lone tornado confirmed by ECCC was on May 27, touching down about six kilometres southeast of Regina just before 9 p.m. that evening.

“It had a lot to do with the lack of moisture, it was really dry across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan,” ECCC meteorologist Terri Lang said in a September interview. “That really eats into the thunderstorm growth and thunderstorms then producing tornadoes,” she added.

THUNDERSTORMS FLOOD REGINA AND ITS UNDERPASSES (AGAIN)

(Photo taken by Jeff Hamon Photo shows a flooded street in Regina's Uplands neighbourhood)

Despite no tornadoes, late May and early June still brought thunderstorm activity to the Queen City and in turn flooded underpasses. Nothing new, however, the consistency with which the flooding happened for about two weeks had many talking about what changes could be made to permanently end one of the city’s top watercooler conversations.

• Overnight thunderstorms bring more flooding to Regina

Once again, vehicles that drove into flooded underpasses had to be pulled out. Regina police also had to use one of its boats to grab people from the roofs of their vehicles.

This video shows a brief history of underpass flooding in Regina over the years

GENERATIONAL DROUGHT

Randy Schneider's crop has been deeply impacted by the severe drought conditions southwestern Sask. has been experiencing. (DonovanMaess/CTVNews)

In contradiction to the previous portion of this article, parts of Saskatchewan also saw a devastating “once in a generation” type of drought in 2023 that devastated some farming operations.

Drought conditions were particularly bad in southwestern Saskatchewan.

• Sask. farmers plagued by scorching drought, destructive grasshoppers

In July, CTV News spoke to the Schneider family, who farm near Leader, Sask.

“I have not seen it this dry before,” Randy Schneider said at the time.

At that point in the growing season, Schneider was used to seeing his durum wheat growth be between hip or shoulder length, but the dry conditions had kept it at best, ankle high.

On top of the drought conditions, grasshoppers also became a significant problem for many, as the insects usually thrive in dry conditions.

RECORD WILDFIRE SMOKE BLANKETS SASK.

A view of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building and Wascana Park on Sept. 4, 2023.

As of Sept. 4, Regina had experienced 223 “smoke hours”, breaking a previous record of 184 set in 2021.

Saskatoon was at 282 hours by that point, breaking a record of 165 set in 1981.

• Record amounts of smoke blanketed parts of Sask. so far this summer

A “smoke hour” is counted when visibility is reduced to 9.7 kilometres or less from smoke for one hour, according to ECCC.

At the time, meteorologist Terri Lang said that most of the smoke hovering over Saskatchewan could be blamed on wildfires in B.C., the Northwest Territories and Alberta.

Wildfire season was not quiet in Saskatchewan however, with 423 recorded for the year as of Sept. 4, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

On Sept. 6, the SPSA said 18 wildfires were burning across Saskatchewan.