Minnedosa Tribune
SPRING SKATE
DARRELL NESBITT/MINNEDOSA TRIBUNE
The ice may be out of some community rinks within the area, but as of Saturday, April 18, that wasn’t the case at Sunrise Credit Union Centre in Minnedosa, where youth took part in a 3-on-3 hockey challenge. In this matchup, players of various heights shared a passion for the fast-paced, high-scoring, high-skilled variant of game, where players are forced to think and react faster than in normal game scenarios.
Spring weather continues
A week of extreme temperature swings has local residents and provincial forecasters keeping a close eye on regional drainage systems.
After a sudden mid-week jump into the high teens and low 20s, the region saw a rapid acceleration of snowmelt. While the heat provided a brief break from winter, it
also triggered an elevated watch for overland flooding from the provincial Hydrologic Forecast Centre.
For those managing land near a waterway – the Assiniboine or the Little Saskatchewan River, the current up-and-down weather is a double-edged sword. On one hand, freezing overnight temperatures are beneficial – they hit the pause button on the runoff, preventing a
massive surge of water from hitting the rivers all at once.
On the other hand, the return to freezing temperatures and the threat of late-week precipitation bring a different set of risks. If culverts and ditches freeze solid during these cold snaps, meltwater has nowhere to go but over roads and into low-lying properties.
The primary concern remains the moisture levels. Whether the
region sees a major storm or just a light dusting, any added precipitation on top of the existing snowpack complicates the drainage process.
Forecasters note that as long as the ground remains frozen or saturated, drainage channels are at a higher risk of obstructing. The best-case scenario for the coming days is a slow, steady climb back to seasonal temperatures. How-
ever, if the heat returns too quickly following this weekend, the volume of runoff could quickly overwhelm local ditches.
For now, the situation in the West Central region remains a wait-and-see game. Residents in low-lying areas are encouraged to ensure culverts are clear and to stay prepared for rapidly shifting conditions as the thermometer continues to swing.
RACHEAL FLINTOFT Minnedosa Tribune