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

With just one confirmed tornado in Saskatchewan so far in 2023, it’s the lowest number in recent memory that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) meteorologist Terri Lang can remember.

The lone tornado confirmed by ECCC in Saskatchewan this year took place on May 27, touching down about six kilometres southeast of Regina just before 9 p.m.

No damage was reported and ECCC gave the tornado a severity rating of EF0.

Lang said in 2015 there were just two confirmed tornadoes in the province, but other than that there have been no years in recent memory with such a lack of tornadic activity.

In 2022 ECCC confirmed 25 tornadoes in Saskatchewan, the highest total since 2012.

With Friday, Sept. 1 marking the first day of meteorological fall, the threat of tornadoes has now been significantly dropping off since the middle of August, Lang said.

She attributes the lack of twisters this year to the lack of moisture.

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“It had a lot to do with the lack of moisture. It was really dry across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan with drought conditions continuing,” Lang said.

According to Lang, that led to a shortage of quality crops that supply a tremendous amount of moisture into the atmosphere which lead to thunderstorms that produce tornadoes.

“That really eats into the thunderstorm growth and thunderstorms then producing tornadoes,” she said.

Lang also said the weather pattern seen throughout peak storm months this year was simply not conducive to the trends where tornadoes form.

“We didn’t get a lot of the low pressure systems that often come across southern Alberta or up from the United States. There’s also been a lot of smoke in the air and the smoke tends to supress thunderstorm activity and heat as well,” Lang said.

Lang said they will not know for about another month if thunderstorm activity also dropped off in Saskatchewan this year.

However, she said what they’ve seen in terms of lightning patterns would indicate that to be a possibility as well.

“We can use lightning numbers as a proxy and those numbers were down, especially in June, it was a very slow month for lightning,” Lang said.

Lang said August also appeared to be a very slow month for lightning.

“We know the more lightning there is, the more likely there is to be severe thunderstorms,” she said.

With Sept. 1 being the first day of meteorological fall and 12:49 a.m. on Sept. 23 marking the autumn equinox in Saskatchewan, Lang said it appears cooler temperatures will hold off.

“It looks like the warmth is going to continue, the current forecast is for above average temperatures and below normal precipitation for the month of September,” Lang said.

The average daytime high in Regina on Sept. 1 is 22.3 degrees, according to ECCC’s website.