1st Sask. funnel cloud advisory strikes early

We’re barely into the month of May and already we’re watching for funnel clouds.

Environment Canada issued a special weather advisory just before noon on Tuesday, warning weak rotation could spawn typically harmless funnel clouds. 

The advisory covers a wide swath of Saskatchewan including Meadow Lake, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and areas close to the American border.
 
“There’s always the risk that one or two of these funnel clouds could touch down and we could see a weak tornado,” said John Paul Cragg, meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“The chances aren’t very high for that to happen, but there is a pretty good chance a few individuals could see a funnel cloud over the course of the day.”

Cragg said it’s the first funnel cloud advisory of the year for the province.

“It’s pretty early,” he noted. “Peak severe weather season and peak tornado season doesn’t happen until mid-June.”

Generally, it runs through July and the beginning of August, but Cragg said it’s possible to see tornadoes in Saskatchewan as early as April.