Climate change in the semiarid prairie of southwestern Saskatchewan: Temperature, precipitation, wind, and incoming solar energy

Long-term weather data were analyzed to study annual as well as seasonal climate change within an approximately 15 000-km(2) area in the semiarid prairie near Swift Current, SK. The climate of the study region has changed over the past 50 yr. Annually, average maximum (T-mx) and minimum (T-mn) air temperatures have increased - rainfall amounts and the number of rainfall events (greater than or equal to 0.5 mm) have increased since the late 1960s-early 1970s; incoming solar energy has decreased, and wind speed has decreased since the early 1970s. Seasonally, for January through April (JFMA), both T-mx and T-mn have increased, the number of rainfall events has increased since the early 1970s, snowfall amounts and the number of snowfall events (greater than or equal to 0.5 cm) have decreased; the number of precipitation events (greater than or equal to 0.5 mm) has decreased, incoming solar energy has decreased, and wind speed has decreased since the early 1970s. For May through August (MJJA), T-mn has increased, incoming solar energy has decreased, and wind speed has decreased since the mid-1970s. For September through December (SOM)), the number of rainfall events has increased since the early 1970s and wind speed has decreased. Since 1950, JFMA has become drier and, relative to JFMA, SOND has become wetter. Generally, JFMA has experienced the largest change in climate, whereas SOND has experienced the least climate change. Precipitation amounts and events were negatively correlated with increasing T-mx, suggesting a future decrease in precipitation amounts for southwestern Saskatchewan if global warming continues.