Saskatchewan experiencing an active twister season, no major damage in latest tornado

Saskatchewan is now clear of tornado warnings, but not before one twister – and possibly two – touched down on July 3.

Video from storm chasers in an area near Lake Diefenbaker showed a tornado touching down southeast of Outlook, confirms John Paul Cragg, a Saskatchewan-based warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.

Video captured another possible tornado – in what looked to be the same cell – in an area nearby, Cragg reports. “We’ll have to look at that and see whether we categorize it as one or two tornadoes.”

Saskatchewan sees an average of 12 tornadoes a year, with most of the severe weather occurring in the southern part of the province, in what Cragg calls the Canadian version of tornado alley. “We’re potentially above that average already. It depends on what gets confirmed and what doesn’t get confirmed.”

Environment Canada has not yet received reports of any damage, Cragg says.

“Our estimates of the wind speed of a tornado have a lot to do with the damage that a tornado does,” he says, attributing the recent lack of damage to touchdowns in open fields or perhaps over water.

An Environment Canada warning as of mid-morning on July 4 cited west winds of 60 km-h and gusting to 90 km-h for Lloydminster, Wainright, Vermillion and Provost. That warning had been lifted by day’s end, as had been those in neighbouring Alberta, where an intense low-pressure system had been moving slowly northeastward into Saskatchewan.

Cragg says although Saskatchewan was seeing strong winds mid-day on July 4, with gusts up to 80 km-h, speeds were not to warning criteria. “As soon as we issue a severe thunderstorm warning, we are going to see gusts up to 90 km-h.”

Severe weather could form in Saskatchewan by the afternoon or evening of July 6, Cragg reports, “but it doesn’t look like there’s going to be anything as strong as the system that just passed through.”

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