Environment Canada gathering data on campground storm

Environment Canada is still gathering information to confirm whether a tornado touched down Saturday evening in Meadow Lake Provincial Park.

However, based on reports the weather office has received from campers at the Murray Doell Campground, meteorologist Dan Fulton said “it’s highly likely” there was at least one twister.

“We saw trees down and campers destroyed, things like that, so it looks like some pretty severe damage out there,” he explained, adding trees were pushed in all directions — a sure sign of a tornado.

Fulton said the storm was caused by unstable air mass from a low pressure system — that triggered a severe thunderstorm, which could have spun a twister.

He added tornadoes this time of year aren’t uncommon, but where this particular storm hit is.

“Usually, these things happen and nobody’s there, so this is just kind of unlucky that this happened in a populated area,” Fulton said.

He’s now reminding campers this long weekend — if they see a storm approaching — to get out of their trailers or tents and find a building, like a bathroom.

If people are out in the open, he said the best thing to do is to lay flat and cover their head.

Environment Canada meteorologists from Edmonton are heading to the area Sunday afternoon to begin gathering data and assessing the scene.

On Monday, researchers from Western University will fly in to do an aerial survey of the damage. From there, they’ll be able to determine whether it was caused by a straight-line or tornadic wind.

Less active weather in the Canada Day forecast

Fulton said “the worst is over for now” when it comes to severe weather this long weekend in Saskatchewan.

Though most of the province is still looking at “unstable air mass,” he noted “there’s a lot less energy in the atmosphere” than Saturday.

For central Saskatchewan on Canada Day, Fulton said there’s a chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm early in the evening.

The southern half of the province, on the other hand, should be in the clear with only a slight chance of showers late in the afternoon.