Fire chief Keaton Cloud is warning about exposed needles in the snow melts as spring continues in La Ronge. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

record setting

La Ronge breaks nearly 100-year-old heat record

Mar 22, 2021 | 12:13 PM

A stretch of warm weather in La Ronge last week broke temperature records, including one set nearly 100 years ago.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Terri Lang, the current records were a result of an upper ridge of high pressure that sat over much of Western Canada. She explained the jet stream was in the Northwest Territories meaning Saskatchewan was on the warm side and many new records were set.

In La Ronge on March 18, the temperature reached 12.4 Celsius to beat the old record of 11.6 C set in 1991. The following day on March 19, it reached 15.3 C to break the old record of 14.4 C set in 1928.

“On March 20, it got to 12.9 C but that wasn’t a record, so three really, really warm days that would have accelerated that snow melt,” Lang said. “As often happens in Saskatchewan, we always kind of pay for it on the other side when we get the nice temperatures and that’s sort of what’s happening. The jet stream has really flattened out, so its actually running through southern Saskatchewan and will for at least the next week.”

Environment Canada is expecting freezing temperatures for the next six days with Monday reaching a high of -3 C and a low of -21 C. The wind chill will make it feel like -28 C overnight and Lang added there’s also the risk of frostbite.

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She mentioned more than 20 centimeters of snow could also fall in La Ronge this week.

“We will see some systems moving through,” Lang said. “There’s one moving through today, so there will be some snow with that. There’s another one coming through Wednesday and Thursday and that could bring in some good snow. People should be prepared for that because it could be upwards to 15 to 20 centimeters of fresh snow.”

Fire department remind residents of proper needle disposal

Fire chief Keaton Cloud of the La Ronge Regional Fire Department is also warning the public about the danger of needles as the snow melts. In an email to larongeNOW, he advises residents not to touch a needle if they find one and to call provincial emergency dispatch at 1-306-953-4284. Ideally, he said the caller should stay with the needle to keep people back and to show firefighters when they arrive.

“Our concern is children may end up playing with them,” Cloud said. “Needles can carry contaminated blood and, in turn, may carry Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS.”

Cloud explained needles can appear anywhere, but noted there is a higher risk at snow dumps because of street clearing. He’s asking residents to remind their children not to play in those area.

Cloud also added it’s common to find discarded needles this time of year as the fire department has already collected 25 so far. Most are found in the spring when the snow melts.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno