Climate of Saskatchewan

Learn More: Climate of Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's location is in the centre of the continent. It is far from any moderating oceanic influences. As a result the temperature is primarily determined by the heat energy radiating from the sun. In addition, a variety of air masses and wind fields bring with it diverse weather experiences. The climate of Saskatchewan is rife with extremes. Temperatures can range from -40°C in the dead of a northern winter to +35°C during summer in the southern regions. The result is that Saskatchewan's overall mean annual temperature is lower than other international areas at the same latitude. The extreme nature of the climate extends to severe climate events as well: from drought to flooding downpours, thunderstorms to blizzards and calm to tornadoes. Saskatchewan Encompasses 11 distinct provincial ecoregions that differ in local climate, vegetation, soils, water and local human activity. The boundaries of these ecoregions loosely align with areas of different climatic conditions. Moving from north to south, the ecoregions are:

  1. Taiga Ecoregions:
    • Selwyn Lake Upland; and Tazin Lake Upland
    • smallest ecoregions covering only 7% of Saskatchewan's land mass
    • long harsh winters and short cool summers
    • temperatures decrease from west to east due to a stronger continental effect in the eastern part of the zone
    • overall precipitation is low, and decreases from south to north
    • dominant vegetation: lichen woodland with open Black Spruce stands
  2. Boreal Shield Ecoregions:
    • Athabasca Plain; and Churchill River Upland;
    • covers approximately 33% of Saskatchewan's land mass and is associated with the Canadian Shield in the province
    • long cold winters, and short warm summers
    • temperatures decrease from the southwest to the northeast areas of this region
    • overall precipitation decreases northward into the Taiga.
    • dominant vegetation: closed Black Spruce forest
  3. Boreal Plain Ecoregions:
    • Mid-Boreal Upland; Mid-Boreal Lowland; and Boreal Transition
    • covers approximately 27% of the province's land mass
    • accommodates the changeover from sub arctic to humid continental climate conditions
    • long, cold, snowy winters and short, warm, moist summers
    • temperatures decrease northward as well as westward
    • annual precipitation decreases from the south end to the north end of the region
    • dominant vegetation: mixed wood and coniferous forest
  4. Prairie Ecoregions:
    • Aspen Parkland; Moist Mixed Grassland; Mixed Grassland; and Cypress Upland
    • covers approximately 33% of the province's land mass
    • variations in temperature and precipitation range from humid continental in the northeast to semi-arid conditions in the southwest area of the region
    • long cold winters and short, very warm summers characterized by storm events
    • temperatures decrease with an increase in altitude and latitude
    • overall precipitation is low and increases most markedly eastward
    • dominant vegetation: grassland
      For more information on Saskatchewan Ecoregions: Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre Saskatchewan Interactive Environment A noticeable trend in temperature and precipitation variation is apparent among the ecoregions. Generally, temperature levels drop from south to north and from west to east within the province. Conversely, precipitation levels ordinarily decrease from north to south. So what we find, in general, are cool moist conditions in the northeast, and warmer, drier conditions in the southwest. Between these ecoregions, annual temperature ranges can vary by up to 12°C at any point. Temperatures are generally warmer throughout the year in the Prairie ecoregions than in the Boreal ecoregions. The same trend exists between the Boreal ecoregions and the Taiga zone. The mean temperatures of each of these zones also vary. In fact, there is a 10°C variation between the mean annual temperature in the Prairie from that in the Taiga. Overall, annual precipitation varies even more so than temperature between the ecoregions. Precipitation levels and annual ranges are quite variable throughout Saskatchewan and tend to decrease from south to north. Annual precipitation varies by 200mm between the Taiga and the Prairie zones of the province, with the latter receiving the lesser levels. In Saskatchewan, the summer months tend to be wetter, with Boreal ecoregions receiving over 90mm of precipitation per month in that season. The Prairie ecoregions of the province tends to be the driest in terms of annual precipitation levels. An exception to the rule is the southeastern Prairie which is more often affected by humid air masses from the south. That particular area experiences higher levels of annual rain and snowfall than the rest of the region. Back to Top