Hail hits Coronach, Assiniboia as storms roll through

It seems like the badly-needed rain that was absent across the prairies through April and May is coming all at once for the first week of June.

Thunderstorms hit certain areas of central and southeastern Saskatchewan late Thursday afternoon and overnight, hitting some areas with hail and others with heavy rain.

David Baggaley, meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Assiniboia saw toonie-sized hail and 50 millimetres, or two inches, of rain from the storm.

Destiny McPeek and her husband farm in the Coronach area south of Assiniboia near the U.S. border.

She said she knew it wasn’t going to be good news when they went out after the storm to check on the fields. She took to Twitter Thursday night posting pictures and video of the storm’s aftermath.

It was nice knowing you chickpeas @mcpeekag #plant18 #SKstorm #coronach what a disaster pic.twitter.com/RKzdbj8Fc2

— destiny mcpeek (@desmcpeek) June 8, 2018

“The rain was washing out roads and the ditches were full of water, the culverts were plugged solid with frozen hail and dirt and the crops in general were quite wet,” McPeek said.

It’s too early to tell how the hail may have damaged the crops because the plants are still small and have the potential to grow back.

“It’s bittersweet – we need the moisture, we absolutely do,” she said.

“My husband said this is still a good thing because we were so dry and because there is chance of recovery we can’t see it as too, too terrible, but I mean there was a lot of damage but it’s really a waiting game to see how it goes.”

According to Environment Canada, Regina airport recorded 26.6 millimetres or just over an inch of rain, while Bratts Lake near Rouleau got the most at 46.2 mm or 1.8 inches.

In the southeast, Weyburn reported 40.7 mm or 1.5 inches and Mankota got 32.2 mm or about an inch and a quarter.

This storm has been dropping crazy bolts of lightning. #skstorm pic.twitter.com/G5h0O6xR5j

— Craig Hilts (@CraigHilts71) June 8, 2018

While there was some storm activity in the dry southwest area around Maple Creek the total rainfall recorded there was only nine mm or about a third of an inch.

The provincial crop report released Thursday reported 67 per cent of crop land had adequate moisture, but the southwest region was still bone dry.

Storm clouds are expected to clear off throughout Friday as the system weakens and moves away, hopefully in time to keep Rider fans dry at the preseason home game.

Baggaley said the weather should stay sunny for Saturday, but there is another storm system coming through for later in the day Sunday.

Another video being shared on Facebook shows flash flooding from the rain on a farm near La Fleche south of Gravelbourg.