Significant rainfall hit the Battlefords, Meadow Lake and other communities in northwest Saskatchewan, with more precipitation expected this week. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By battlefordsNOW and meadowlakeNOW Staff

Summer showers

Heavy rainfall hits northwest Saskatchewan, more expected

Jun 14, 2022 | 3:19 PM

Requests to Mother Nature for rain were answered, and then some, on Monday.

According to the City of North Battleford, the area experienced a one in 100-year storm over six hours. The rain gauge at city hall indicated 10 cm of precipitation, with 8.56 cm at the Fairview Heights Reservoir.

Environment Canada found that the Battlefords had more than 30 mm in roughly one hour.

“This is very heavy rain, we don’t often see those amounts,” meteorologist Terri Lang said.

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Meadow Lake also saw steady precipitation, but with a far lighter downpour totaling roughly 27 mm since Monday morning. That gap between the Battlefords will likely shrink according to the upcoming forecast, with a rainfall warning currently in effect.

“They’re expected to get more rain over 24 hours,” Lang said. “Between 20-30 mm. Not as much in North Battleford and area.

(Matt Ryan/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

However, the Battlefords may still get as much as 20 mm between Tuesday night and Wednesday evening. One brief day of sunlight on Thursday should give way to more cloud cover and the possibility of future showers over the weekend. Temperatures in both regions should rise from afternoon highs around 15 C over the next two days to over 20 C by the weekend, despite heavy clouds.

While the moisture is likely appreciated by producers and fire departments, Lang said there’s negatives to having such a strong burst all at once.

“It’s certainly making up for the dryer spring,” she said. “We just don’t want this all of it at once, you want to be able to have the ground properly absorb it.”

There’s also fairly strong winds coming up this week, with gusts ranging from 20-60 km/h in the Battlefords and Meadow Lake. Lang said that could affect wet ground and is worth the time it takes to clean the yard.

“Make sure everything is put away around the house, like garbage and recycling bins, because we are expecting those strong winds to kick in,” she said.

Flood prevention

Given the amount of water on its way, in addition to what’s already fallen, flooding is now a concern for municipalities and property owners are being advised to reach out to their insurance provider. Vulnerable areas, like streets near Kildeer Park accrued several inches of water and some areas of stores like Walmart had to close.

Some tips from the City of North Battleford to prevent flooding on a property include:

• Extending downspouts at least two metres from the foundation;
• Ensuring roof runoff goes into the front or backyard, rather than to the side;
• Cleaning out eavestroughs;
• Sloping soil around the house and window wells at least two metres away;
• Checking drainage paths;
• Repairing leaks in walls, floors, windows and doors;
• Turning off sprinklers;
• Confirming that the sump pump (if the house has one) is working.

Flooding is also a concern on the roads. Lang said drivers need to watch out for hydroplaning and to avoid roads where the water blocks visibility.

“You don’t know what’s underneath the water, you don’t know the roads’ been washed out or not,” she said. “So, it’s dangerous to drive into flooded areas.”

And as the week progresses, Lang said they are watching the amount of rainfall in Alberta as well, with runoff from the winter still effecting water levels on main rivers.

“If all that rain falls in Alberta, it will eventually make its way into Saskatchewan.”

Road conditions are available via Highway Hotline. Weather alerts are available through Environment Canada.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW