Saskatoon sits on Canada’s Prairies, where a dry continental climate means annual precipitation is modest, but spring snowmelt combined with rain can raise rivers quickly, and summer brings the risk of intense, fast-moving thunderstorms.
On the South Saskatchewan River, the city monitors the river’s level during spring snowmelt and summer storm season. Because the region’s flat terrain and clay-rich soil drain slowly, a heavy spring or summer storm on already-saturated ground can produce flooding well out of proportion to the region’s usual dry conditions, making radar useful for tracking storm cells across the open landscape. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map