The first nine days of May are a lot different than what Moose Jaw saw in April, which was filled with snow and below-average temperatures.  

According to Environment Canada, in April, Moose Jaw’s temperature average finished well below average.

“Moose Jaw itself had an average temperature of 1.3 degrees for the month, compared to the 30-year average temperature for April of 5.2,” says says Environment Canada Meteorologist, Terri Lang. “It was 3.9 degrees colder than average, making that the 17th coldest April in 128 years. If people thought it was cold, it was cold.”  

What Moose Jaw saw in April is the same as what most of the province experienced when it comes to temperatures.  

“April was pretty cold for the southern part of the province, the further north you got the closer it got to average, and in some cases, in the far north it was actually above average for the month," adds Lang.

The reason behind the colder-than-normal month in Moose Jaw was due to the hangover effects of the La Nina that we had throughout the winter.  

“The jet stream south of the border kept us in the really cold air. We did have that Colorado Low come up in mid-month that wreaked havoc and brought lots of snow and kept the cloudy and cool conditions going.” 

The Colorado Low that Lang is referring to occurred over three days from April 19 to 21, which brought a lot of wet and heavy snow and strong winds, making driving conditions very treacherous.  

So far in May, the city has seen daytime highs around or above 20 degrees and no snow to be found making it feel a lot more like spring.  

Those more seasonal temperatures are expected to stick around, as we get further into May.  

Rain is expected to hit the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Lang says it’s not expected to bring large amounts.  

Speaking of moisture, that is one thing that Moose Jaw saw lots of in April, with the help of snow brought by the previously mentioned Colorado Low.  

“Moose Jaw faired pretty well compared to some of the other spots. 23.3 millimetres of precipitation was recorded and that includes snow and rain that fell. This is compared to a 30-year average of 17.6 mm, so 132 per cent of precipitation was seen.” 

The amount of precipitation seen in April made it the 52nd wettest in 119 years of data.  

The added moisture was welcomed by farmers even though their seeding plans were slightly delayed.  

“We did go into the fall quite dry and there was a late frost, so that meant that the ground was sort of ready to absorb the moisture when it came in. The moisture did make it into the ground, as opposed to running off or being lost in any other way.” 

Though moisture was seen in April and a little bit into May, the area is still quite dry, which means it’s more at risk for grassland or wildfires to break out.  

Lang reminds residents to watch for any sort of ignition such as cigarettes or farm machinery, as they could instantly start a grass or wildland fire.