Risk of severe storms returns for Prairies, here's where
theweathernetwork.com
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 4:46 PM - The focus turns to Saskatchewan for severe thunderstorms Saturday as a trough slides across the central Prairies.
"Hail and wind will be the main threats with these isolated severe thunderstorms," says The Weather Network meteorologist Nadine Hinds-Powell. "The heat and humidity will fuel these storms as temperatures are unseasonably warm across Saskatchewan. The cold front will provide the lifting mechanism to get these storms going and the upper level dynamics will provide the support."
Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning Saturday afternoon for several locations including, the rural municipalities of Hoodoo, Bayne, Colonsay, Aberdeen, Grant and Blucher. Severe storm watches were issued for Regina, Humboldt, Melfort and Saskatoon.
"The cold front will pass through the Battlefords region first. The risk of severe thunderstorms will be limited to early afternoon for this region," says the weather agency. "The cold front and risk of severe thunderstorms will continue eastward this evening. This severe thunderstorm watch may be extended eastward later in the day."
Meanwhile, daytime highs look to drop to the low 20s in Alberta behind the trough. However, temperatures are expected to rebound Sunday as high pressure keeps conditions calm and clear.
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WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Risk for severe thunderstorms in southern and central Saskatchewan Saturday
- Temperatures drop to low 20s in southern Alberta
- Tornado warnings issued and dropped Friday afternoon in southern Manitoba
TORNADO WARNING RECAP
Summer storms turned tornadic in southern Manitoba Friday afternoon, with Environment Canada issuing a tornado warning a little after 3:30 p.m.
"Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado. Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible," the agency said in the warning. "Doppler radar indicates a potential tornado in the Amaranth area. The potential tornado will be in the Sandy Bay area in the next 20 to 30 minutes."
That warning was dropped a little before 5 p.m.
The system also brought some beneficial rain to wildfire-ravaged parts of Manitoba, where thousands of residents have been evacuated.
YOUR PHOTOS: LANDSPOUT SIGHTINGS
Thursday was also active on the Prairies. Thunderstorm warnings started early in the day as the first line of storms threatened parts with heavy rain and strong winds. Before lunch hour, wind gusts over 90 km/h were reported in southern Manitoba.
Although the thunderstorms lacked the typical supercell structure, two landspout tornadoes were observed through the afternoon hours. One was reported south of Edmonton, Alberta and the other near Esterhazy, Saskatchewan.
WATCH BELOW: LANDSPOUT TORNADO CAPTURED. WOW!
(UPLOAD YOUR PHOTOS: If it's safe to do so, we'd love to see YOUR storm photos. Upload here)
Terrie Schwartz - Gerald, Saskatchewan
Mark Duffy - Buffalo Pound Lake, Saskatchewan
Candace Waldner - Delta Beach, Manitoba
Misty Starr - Dominion City, Manitoba
WHAT IS A LANDSPOUT TORNADO?
A landspout is a type of tornado, typically tube-shaped instead of funnel-shaped, and only lasting a short amount of time - perhaps 10-15 minutes at the most - but there's a big difference between a landspout and a normal tornado. While a tornado essentially forms from top down, as the mesocyclone inside the cloud produces the wall cloud, and the funnel cloud reaches down from there to the ground, a landspout forms more from the bottom up. Read more on the difference between a tornado, funnel cloud and landspout here.