Prairies regional marine guide

Countless words of weather wisdom, often in the form of weather lore or rhymes, have been passed down over the ages, allowing people to predict the weather to some degree. Most are true much of the time; however, exceptions exist because these sayings were based on pattern recognition of weather phenomena in a particular region. Variations in the direction of motion, time of year, local topography, and the unpredictability of some weather situations can change the expected outcome.

The Prairies, as referred to in this guide, encompass the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. This guide contains information on local weather effects for the larger lakes of the Prairies, including Wabamun Lake, Lesser Slave Lake, Lake Diefenbaker, Last Mountain Lake, Lac la Ronge, Lake Athabasca, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis.

Marine forecasts are not issued for other lakes in the Prairies region; however, local, land-based forecasts and observations from nearby weather stations can be interpreted in order to assess current conditions over water.

Understanding the current and forecast weather conditions, as well as the local marine environment, increases both the safety and enjoyment of boating. It is recommended that you download and read the MET 101 portion of the National Marine Weather Guide first in order to better understand the meteorological concepts, local weather, wind, sea state and ice conditions described in the Prairies Regional Marine Guide.