Slight warming for central, southern Sask. after hazardous wind chills overnight

A swath of southern and central Saskatchewan is warming up slightly Saturday afternoon after being hit by hazardous wind chills overnight, Environment and Climate Change Canada says.

The weather agency had previously issued a yellow, or moderate, weather alert for the region, warning of extreme cold, but lifted that just before noon Saturday.

Cold weather alerts remained in effect Saturday afternoon for northern Saskatchewan, including the Uranium City and Stony Rapids areas.

Overnight on Saturday, areas of central and southern Saskatchewan including Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina and Estevan were hit by wind chills as low as –42, according to Environment Canada.

Key Lake, about 575 kilometres north of Saskatoon, was the coldest place in the province overnight, with temperatures dipping to around –34 C.

Keane Kokolsky, an operational meteorologist with Environment Canada, said temperatures will remain chilly over the weekend until Monday morning, but will moderate into Saturday afternoon for most of the province.

"It definitely looks like the worst is over, but it still looks like it will likely be cold again," Kokolsky said. 

Saturday evening could see cold wind chills again, he said, but not the hazardous wind chill values from the night before.

An arctic high-pressure system has been developing over the southern Prairies, stretching from the Northwest Territories down to the United States, he said. 

The coming week will see some warmer air, "but not any kind of springtime weather," he said. 

Areas in southern Saskatchewan near Assiniboia and Rockglen will see warmer temperatures on Monday, but it will be short-lived, said Kokolsky.

"There’s a cold front that comes right behind it," he said.

Parts of Saskatchewan could also briefly warm up again by Thursday, but that warm reprieve would also likely be short-lived, he said.