“(I) certainly don’t recommend any non-essential travel,” said Environment Canada meteoroogist Shannon Moodie, “We are expecting areas of reduced visibility and blowing snow throughout Saskatchewan.” (980 CJME file photo)

By Marija Robinson/CKOM

Whipping winds

Wind warning issued for parts of central and southern Sask. as weather records tumble

Jan 15, 2026 | 9:37 AM

Strong winds are on the way after a day of record-setting warm weather.

Environment Canada meteorologist Shannon Moodie said large parts of Saskatchewan can expect wind gusts ranging from 80-90 km/h Thursday, even getting as strong as 100 km/h in areas like North Battleford and Kindersley.

Moodie said the whipping winds will move from western Saskatchewan towards the southeast.

The forecast for La Ronge calls for 2 cm of snow with wind gusts up to 80 km/h. In Meadow Lake and Prince Albert, the winds are expected to reach 90 km/h near noon. Melfort will also be windy, but not as strong as other locations.

Large parts of Saskatchewan, including Regina and Saskatoon, were covered by a wind warning from Environment Canada on Thursday morning. (Environment Canada)

Team Canada forced to settle for silver

Overtime hockey heartbreak closes Milan Cortina Olympics for Canada

14h ago

LOCAL TALENT

'It really just feels amazing': Host district River West wins 30 medals at 2026 Sask. Winter Games

14h ago

Olympic men's hockey final

Team Canada loses to U.S. in overtime gold-medal game

17h ago

The meteorologist said with such high wind speeds, “we’re really starting to see some damage” like tree branches breaking.

Moodie said residents should secure anything loose in their yards and avoid going out on the highways if possible, as some flurries are expected to accompany the wind.

“(I) certainly don’t recommend any non-essential travel,” she said.

“We are expecting areas of reduced visibility and blowing snow throughout Saskatchewan.”

Local utility outages are also possible.

The warning-level winds should ease up by Thursday evening, “but it’s really going to stay windy throughout southern Saskatchewan through Friday,” Moodie noted.

She said this type of weather isn’t uncommon at this time of year, thanks to the competing energy between cold and warm air.

Even though the strong winds aren’t anything out of the ordinary, Moodie said “this has been a bit of a different winter so far.”

Record-breaking temperatures

Saskatchewan has seen record-breaking heat this week, with 12 communities around the province setting new heat records on Monday. The longest-standing record that got defeated was in La Ronge, which reached 7.3 C on Jan. 12, beating its previous record of 5.6 C, which was set in 1928.

The other communities that broke records on Monday were Buffalo Narrows, Cypress Hills, Key Lake, Meadow Lake, Melfort, Nipawin, Prince Albert, Rockglen, Scott, Southend and Waskesiu. While it didn’t shatter any records, the hottest place in the province on Monday was Maple Creek, which recorded a temperature of 12 C.

On Wednesday, Environment Canada logged another 16 record-high temperatures in Saskatchewan. The communities that set or tied records were:

• Buffalo Narrows: 9.5 C (previous record was 7.5 C, set in 1986);
• Collins Bay: 2.5 C (previous record was -0.6, set in 2025);
• Cypress Hills: 14.2 C (previous record was 9.5 C, set in 1986);
• Key Lake: 4.2 C (previous record was 0.4 C, set in 2025);
• La Ronge: 6.4 C (previous record was 5.6 C, set in 1942);
• Lucky Lake: 4.6 (tied record of 4.6, set in 1999);
• Maple Creek: 15.4 (previous record 13.5, set in 2008);
• Meadow Lake: 8.6 C (previous record was 6.1 C, set in 1986);
• Melfort: 4.3 C (previous record was 3.5 C, set in 1988);
• Scott: 6 C (previous record was 5 C, set in 1926);
• Southend Reindeer: 2.5 C (previous record was 0.8 C, set in 2025);
• Spiritwood: 6.2 C (previous record 6.1 C, set in 1942);
• Stony Rapids: 0.3 C (previous record -2 C, set in 2022);
• Swift Current: 8.8 C (previous record 7.8 C, set in 1973);
• Uranium City: 0.7 C (previous record -2.3 C, set in 1999);
• Waskesiu: 7.7 C (previous record 5.5 C, set in 1986); and
• Wynyard: 5.2 C C (previous record was 2.5 C, set in 1986).

The latest updates on the wind warnings can be found on Environment Canada’s website, and current information on highway conditions can be found on the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline.

—