"We had a big high pressure system bringing cold air down from the Arctic. That's what made it so cold. We estimate about 11 centimeres fell over the weekend but it wouldn't be considered a major snowfall event," said Bob Cormier, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
He said a major dump of snow would be more than 15 cm of snow.
What makes snow on the Prairies seem so vicious is the wind, according to Cormier. It can cause drifting and piling of snow, making it seem deeper than if the snow fell straight down.
"What is so remarkable was the warm November. Remember when people were still playing golf? They were seduced into thinking this would be a Christmas without snow," said David Phillips, a climatologist with Environment Canada.
Then winter came mid-December and it hasn't let up since. When Sunday hit -37 C, it was 17 degrees colder than normal. "The temperature in Moose Jaw will rise next week. It should be -10," Phillips said.
He maintained winter isn't over yet and said it will dip low again after next week. Our reprieve will be fleeting. "When you go up 30 degrees it feels a lot warmer," Phillips said. "It's going to feel like a chinook. People will be walking around in shorts."
