Saskatchewan
About the Province of Saskatchewan
Nickname
Maps of Canada and all the provinces: http://members.shaw.ca/kcic1/mapmenu.html
Capital:
Official language: English
Population
Climate:
Table CL-1. Mean Temperature (oC) at selected Locations
Canadian Plains Research Center
View PDF
The climate of Saskatchewan is characterized by its extremes. Its position near the centre of the continent, a relatively high latitude, and great distance from the moist and moderating influence of oceans largely determine its atmospheric environment. It is generally considered a continental climate, with temperatures varying greatly between seasons. Precipitation is also variable both seasonally and inter-annually; average amounts are sufficient to support grasslands in the south and FORESTS in the north. Extremes of temperature and precipitation are to be expected and form an integral component of the climate. Other factors are variable winds throughout the year, an abundance of sunshine, and possible severe weather in both summer and winter. The climate resources are usually sufficient for an agrarian economy, but sometimes impose constraints on these and other enterprises.
Table CL-2. Mean annual total precipitation (mm) at selected locations.
Canadian Plains Research Center
View PDF
The temperature climate of Saskatchewan is extreme. It is common for temperatures at any point to vary more than 65°C within any year. The average values shown in Table CL-1 suggest a great seasonal variation but do not show the inherent variability. Latitudinal differences typically explain most of the 6–8°C difference in mean annual temperature across the province. However, extremes are still possible, no matter the latitude. The south Saskatchewan town of MIDALE had the highest temperature recorded in Canada at 45°C, and many sites have had record low temperatures of at least -50°C. These extremes of temperature are usually attributed to the province’s mid-continental position: the thermal character of the vast North American landmass heats and cools extremely well seasonally. It is also strongly influenced by the West Coast mountains, which inhibit the passage of moderating air from the west. The lack of terrain impediments to cold, Arctic air from the north is also a strong factor.
Saskatchewan has a relatively dry climate with a strong seasonal character. As with most mid-continental locations in mid latitudes, the majority of the precipitation is summer rainfall; but because of the coolness of winter temperatures, long-surviving snow pack is also an important factor. Year-to-year fluctuations in precipitation make for a challenging agricultural environment. The summer (May to September, inclusive) is the wet season, with usually two-thirds of the precipitation falling. Depending on the latitude, either June or July is the peak, with the more northerly locations having the later maximum. Most precipitation falls as a result of passing mid-latitude cyclones when their most favoured path crosses the region. Significant amounts can also result from convective systems (THUNDERSTORMS) at a variety of scales. Table CL-2 shows this seasonal character for stations spread across Saskatchewan.
Interannual variability is usually great. For example, Muenster has experienced annual totals between 229 and 639mm in its over 70 years of record; these values are typical of most other places in Saskatchewan.
An important feature of the climate of Saskatchewan is the frequent clear skies and the resulting sunny conditions. The province’s position in the lee of the Rocky Mountains and in the middle of the continent means that high surface pressure is frequently experienced. This high pressure in part explains the general aridity of the climate but also has other effects. One is the abundance of bright sunshine hours: many places in Saskatchewan have considerably more than 2,000 hours of bright sunshine each year, and ESTEVAN, in the southeast, is known as the “sunniest place in Canada,” with an average of 2,435 hours of bright sunshine each year. The clear skies and general lack of humidity, along with frequently unmitigated winds, allow for large potential evapotranspiration (PET). This exacerbates the aridity and dictates that the climate can only support grasslands in the southern third of the province. In the north, where PET is lower, woody vegetation can grow. This is often a greater determinant of natural vegetation than the slight difference in total precipitation from north to south.
Mark Cote
Physical Features
Largest City: Saskatoon
Economy
Famous Places to Visit-
Famous People
Saskatchewan Provincial Bird
Saskatchewan Provincial Tree
Canadian Provincial Flags
- The prairie province of Saskatchewan produces more than half of the wheat grown in Canada. Saskatchewan is the birthplace of Canadian medicare and home of the RCMP training academy.
Nickname
- "The Bread Basket of Canada"
- "Land of the Living Skies"
- "The Wheat Province"
- "The Land of Rapeseed and Honey"
Maps of Canada and all the provinces: http://members.shaw.ca/kcic1/mapmenu.html
Capital:
- Regina
Official language: English
- "First of all, each of Canada's 10 provinces and three territories adopts its own official language policy and only Quebec recognizes French as its official language. Quebec is the only place in Canada where French is the sole official language."
Population
- Population of Saskatchewan: 1,033,381 (Statistics Canada, 2011 Census)
- Area of Saskatchewan: 588,239.21 sq. km (227,120.43 sq. miles) (Statistics Canada, 2011 Census)
- between the 49th and 60th parallels
- between Alberta on the west and Manitoba on the east, and between the Northwest Territories on the north and the states of Montana and North Dakota on the south
- See map of Saskatchewan
Climate:
Table CL-1. Mean Temperature (oC) at selected Locations
Canadian Plains Research Center
View PDF
The climate of Saskatchewan is characterized by its extremes. Its position near the centre of the continent, a relatively high latitude, and great distance from the moist and moderating influence of oceans largely determine its atmospheric environment. It is generally considered a continental climate, with temperatures varying greatly between seasons. Precipitation is also variable both seasonally and inter-annually; average amounts are sufficient to support grasslands in the south and FORESTS in the north. Extremes of temperature and precipitation are to be expected and form an integral component of the climate. Other factors are variable winds throughout the year, an abundance of sunshine, and possible severe weather in both summer and winter. The climate resources are usually sufficient for an agrarian economy, but sometimes impose constraints on these and other enterprises.
Table CL-2. Mean annual total precipitation (mm) at selected locations.
Canadian Plains Research Center
View PDF
The temperature climate of Saskatchewan is extreme. It is common for temperatures at any point to vary more than 65°C within any year. The average values shown in Table CL-1 suggest a great seasonal variation but do not show the inherent variability. Latitudinal differences typically explain most of the 6–8°C difference in mean annual temperature across the province. However, extremes are still possible, no matter the latitude. The south Saskatchewan town of MIDALE had the highest temperature recorded in Canada at 45°C, and many sites have had record low temperatures of at least -50°C. These extremes of temperature are usually attributed to the province’s mid-continental position: the thermal character of the vast North American landmass heats and cools extremely well seasonally. It is also strongly influenced by the West Coast mountains, which inhibit the passage of moderating air from the west. The lack of terrain impediments to cold, Arctic air from the north is also a strong factor.
Saskatchewan has a relatively dry climate with a strong seasonal character. As with most mid-continental locations in mid latitudes, the majority of the precipitation is summer rainfall; but because of the coolness of winter temperatures, long-surviving snow pack is also an important factor. Year-to-year fluctuations in precipitation make for a challenging agricultural environment. The summer (May to September, inclusive) is the wet season, with usually two-thirds of the precipitation falling. Depending on the latitude, either June or July is the peak, with the more northerly locations having the later maximum. Most precipitation falls as a result of passing mid-latitude cyclones when their most favoured path crosses the region. Significant amounts can also result from convective systems (THUNDERSTORMS) at a variety of scales. Table CL-2 shows this seasonal character for stations spread across Saskatchewan.
Interannual variability is usually great. For example, Muenster has experienced annual totals between 229 and 639mm in its over 70 years of record; these values are typical of most other places in Saskatchewan.
An important feature of the climate of Saskatchewan is the frequent clear skies and the resulting sunny conditions. The province’s position in the lee of the Rocky Mountains and in the middle of the continent means that high surface pressure is frequently experienced. This high pressure in part explains the general aridity of the climate but also has other effects. One is the abundance of bright sunshine hours: many places in Saskatchewan have considerably more than 2,000 hours of bright sunshine each year, and ESTEVAN, in the southeast, is known as the “sunniest place in Canada,” with an average of 2,435 hours of bright sunshine each year. The clear skies and general lack of humidity, along with frequently unmitigated winds, allow for large potential evapotranspiration (PET). This exacerbates the aridity and dictates that the climate can only support grasslands in the southern third of the province. In the north, where PET is lower, woody vegetation can grow. This is often a greater determinant of natural vegetation than the slight difference in total precipitation from north to south.
Mark Cote
Physical Features
- Bodies of water- major oceans, seas, lakes, & rivers
- Largest Lake: Lake Athabasca - 7,935 Square Kilometres
- Mountains/landforms
Largest City: Saskatoon
- Location
- Population: 222,189
- Interesting facts
Economy
- Main Saskatchewan Industries: Agriculture, services, mining
Famous Places to Visit-
- Images of Places in each Province: http://www.travel-images.com/canada.html
Famous People
- Henry Taube – The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1983 – for his work on the mechanisms of electron transfer reactions, especially in metal complexes.
- Taube was born in Neudorf, Saskatchewan where he obtrained a B.S. and an M.S. before undertaking Ph.D. Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
- http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1983/taube-cv.html
- Western Red Lily
Saskatchewan Provincial Bird
Saskatchewan Provincial Tree
Canadian Provincial Flags