Temperatures ten to fifteen degrees below normal for this time of year are expected in the coming days, making shovelling even less enjoyable. (Image Credit: ID 83753717 © Harald Biebel | Dreamstime.com)

By northeastNOW Staff

Welcome back to winter

Snow removal efforts continue as temperatures drop significantly below average

Feb 19, 2026 | 1:46 PM

Instead of thinking warm, happy thoughts, it appears Mother Nature has turned a little…crusty.

The system that impacted much of the province over the last few days with heavy snow has moved out and weakened. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warning preparedness meteorologist Danielle Desjardins said now a ridge of high pressure is building in the province, and it’s going to usher in some bitterly cold Arctic air.

“That’s going to stick around for at least the next four days with extremely below normal temperatures, and we’re expecting below seasonal temperatures will last til the end of the month,” said Desjardins. “Keep an eye out, especially over the weekend for potential cold warnings that get issued. We’re going to see overnight lows around the -30 C mark and even a tiny gust of wind could push those wind chill values to near -40 C.”

Some of those cold warnings have already started for west central Saskatchewan, including Meadow Lake.  

Typical daytime highs for this time of year in the Melfort area hover around -8 C, with overnight lows of -19 C.

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“It’s about ten to fifteen degrees below normal for this time of year.”

The bitter cold comes as residents across the province try to dig their way out of what appears to be the largest snowfall event so far this winter. According to weather stations and volunteers who report to Environment Canada, total snowfall accumulation over a 48-hour period reached 45 cms at Emma Lake, Prince Albert received 35 cms, Saskatoon 19 cms, and Meadow Lake 12 cms.

Snow removal crews across northeast Saskatchewan have been busy clearing the streets after the massive snowfall event. In the City of Melfort, crews cleared major corridors on Wednesday and plowed one lane on residential streets. They began to fully tackle residential areas Thursday morning, making driving a little easier for local residents.

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