How this tornado season compares to an average summer of Saskatchewan twisters

Last year, 15 tornadoes were confirmed to touch down in Saskatchewan, which is around the average for the province.  

This year has been a different story, as Environment Canada has only identified one tornado this season, which occurred in May.  

“That is way below normal, it’s a bit unusual to have so little,” says Meteorologist Natalie Hasell. “That tornado was sighted near Regina and was on the 27th of May.” 

In addition to that single tornado, the province also saw a dust devil on May 10 and a downburst on June 6.  

Between 1991 and 2021 the average number of tornado sightings each year in Saskatchewan is 13.  

Out of the 15 tornadoes that touched down in the province last year the most severe one was an EF1 tornado that tore through Foam Lake in late June.  

On June 29, 2022, Environment Canada confirmed three tornadoes on the same day. One each was confirmed near Manitou Beach, Margo, and Cymric. 

The reason behind the lack of tornado sightings this year is due to extremely hot and dry conditions that have been seen this summer.  

“Since storms are water, if you don’t have the moisture, you don’t get the storm. We have had a number of scenarios where we’ve come close, it hasn’t been a quiet season. We’ve had a lot of thunderstorm activity in Saskatchewan, it just hasn’t worked out for tornadoes,” adds Hasell. 

Tornadoes can be formed from a number of storm types which include supercells, bow echoes and squall lines, pulse storms, and many more. 

For tornadoes to form, they rely on four elements, which are heat, moisture, wind, and a trigger to coincide.  

“If it’s been relatively dry in an area, we can get moisture from a further distance, we get a stream of moisture flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico. It does help if areas have seen some precipitation, as those puddles become a local source of moisture for the next system.” 

Moisture can also be created through evapotranspiration from crops, which Saskatchewan has in spades. Also, the number of creeks, rivers, and lakes within the province also provides moisture to the atmosphere. 

Evapotranspiration is the process in which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil or other surfaces and by transpiration from plants.   

Another element needed to form a tornado is winds in the upper atmosphere that allow for a vertical motion.  

“That allows the clouds to rotate, and when that happens the storms can get themselves more organized, and when the storms get more organized that’s when they’re more capable of producing tornadoes.”   

Tornadoes also need a trigger to form, which sets the event in motion. 

“A cold front, an upper cold front, a trough, a dry line, something like that, that comes along to kick things off. Sometimes rain or lake breezes can do that, but those are the things that we need to set off the thunderstorms that are capable of producing tornadoes.” 

The last element needed for a tornado to form is heat.  

“Heat is definitely one of the ingredients. When the heat starts to break down that’s when we get the storms and that’s when we tend to get the tornadoes.”   Moving forward the weather is showing hot temperatures with a chance of more moisture on Tuesday with the risk of a thunderstorm.  

Though only one tornado has been confirmed this summer, Hasell wants to remind residents that the season is not over yet and to be cautious when weather cells begin to develop.  

“Pay attention to where you are and what’s going on around you. Have an escape route if you need to leave and know where to go; typically seek shelter in a well-constructed building with a real foundation and basement. If you don’t have a basement, find a small interior room with as many walls between you and the outside.” 

If you get caught in tornado-like conditions while on the highway this summer, Hasell recommends staying in your vehicle and making yourself as small as possible. 

“Know what your options are before you need them. Say you’re going camping, ask around to see if the campground has a shelter established for this kind of thing.” 

Tornado season on the prairies starts in April and can last until September. 

In conclusion, Saskatchewan is a breeding ground for tornadoes due to its location being an extension of the USA’s Tornado Alley, and its extreme heat, winds, and moisture levels due to crops.