Residents in Moose Jaw, Sask. wake up to snowy streets after early morning hail storm

Some people living in Moose Jaw, Sask. woke up thinking winter may have hit again — and took to the streets to shovel in their shorts. 

Moose Jaw resident Jocelyn Froehlich said the severe hail storm hit without warning after developing in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“It was quite crazy and loud,” said Froehlich.

© Shelley Overs Streets of Moose Jaw were covered in snow from an early morning hail storm that hit the city.

“At about 3 o’clock in the morning the weather rolled in and it lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes, and it was non-stop hail pounding our house.”

Froehlich captured a video from her front door of what looks like a December snow storm.

With shovel in hand right after the storm, Froehlich was out shovelling the hail away from her home and windows.

Photos of the storm are circulating through social media.

© Jocelyn Froehlich A trail of vehicle tracks lined with the snow that is now beginning to melt in the summer sun.

According to residents and Environment Canada, the storm cell popped up fast and hit the city with hail and strong winds.

“The highest intensity were really right over the city. With this intense thunderstorm Moose Jaw got a lot of hail,” said John Paul Cragg, a meteorologist with Environment Canada who specializes in warning preparedness.

“It was fairly small hail, about pea size, but the accumulations were obviously pretty dramatic in the city itself.”

© Shelley Overs Steam covers a Moose Jaw street as the hail begins to melt in the sun.© Shelley Overs Mounds of snow were still visible on Moose Jaw street.

This is not the first time the city has faced a severe hail storm. In 2016 another storm that flooded parts of the city and caused some major damage.