Climate change in the semiarid prairie of southwestern Saskatchewan: Late winter-early spring

Long-term weather and hydrological data were analyzed to study climate chan ge during late winter-early spring within an approximately 15 000 km(2) are a in the semiarid prairie near Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The climate has changed over the past 50 yr. Winter and spring maximum and minimum tempera tures have warmed, snowfall amounts have decreased, and spring runoff has s tarted earlier now than during past years. The percentage of precipitation as snow has decreased as temperatures have warmed. As well, even though tem peratures have warmed, the date of the last spring frost has not gotten ear lier with time.