Possible funnel clouds spotted in south-central and southwestern parts of Sask.

CBC
·2-min read

Some were watching fireworks light up the skies over the Canada Day long weekend, but others were spotting funnel clouds in various parts of the province.

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), said there have been many reports of funnel clouds in the province.

However, Lang said it's still to-be-determined if the funnels actually touched down in many of these cases. She said clouds can appear to be something they're not.

"We get lots and lots and lots and lots of reports of funnel clouds when it's actually just what we call scud cloud, so just appendages of clouds kind of hanging at the bottom of the clouds," said Lang.

A resident of Melville, Lacey Polk, saw and photographed two funnel clouds near her home on Monday around 3:00 p.m. CST.
Melville resident Lacey Polk photographed what looked like two funnel clouds near her home on Monday around 3 p.m. CST. (Submitted by Lacey Polk)

Smooth edges to the funnel and the cloud rotating are key indicators of an actual funnel cloud, whereas scuds are more rigid in appearance.

For now, Lang said ECCC is still trying to find evidence of clouds touching down, or of any damage they may have caused.

As for the conditions that cause funnel clouds, Lang said there are "cold core funnels" that form in unstable atmospheres, like when thunderstorms form quickly in the span of 10-to-15 minutes.

The cold core funnels rarely touch down, according to Lang, but they are more likely to make it to the ground during "super-cell thunderstorms," which are "more organized" and allow the funnel more time to continue forming and reach the ground.

The reported funnel clouds ranged from areas in the south-central to southwest parts of Saskatchewan, but with some sighting specifically in Gull Lake, the village of Abbey and Melville.

Lacey Polk, who lives in Melville, said she was mowing her front lawn when she looked up and a saw a spiralling cloud in the distance.

"I just kind of kept my eye on that for a bit and started taking the video, and then I realized, 'oh crap, this is actually a funnel cloud.' So I scooted around to the backyard and that's when actually I noticed that there was a second one as well," said Polk.

"I didn't think that it was going to switch directions and head our way. Maybe I should have gone into the house, but you know, hindsight."

Lang said it's best to go indoors and go to the lowest level of the building if a tornado has been spotted.

She also said funnel clouds are quite typical for this time of the year, and that more can be expected until the end of August.

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