Sask. has weathered the worst of winter, but keep your parkas handy

Here's some news that should help warm up your frostbitten toes: It looks like Saskatchewan has seen the last of extreme cold warnings for this winter, according to Environment Canada's Mike Russo.

After a couple of brutally cold months, the province should not see anymore of the –40 C windchills it has grown accustomed to.

"It looks like we are going to be safe at least for the next 10 to 15 days," Russo said. "I think once you get beyond that it is going to be pretty tough actually seeing the extreme cold warnings going out again."

February was especially frigid across the entire province and indeed all of the prairies.

It was the fourth coldest February on record in Saskatoon, with a mean temperature of –24.2 C. Regina had a monthly mean average of –23.5 C, 12 degrees colder than normal and the fifth coldest February ever recorded.

La Ronge recorded the coldest winter in the 53 years since records have been kept, with a monthly mean of –23.6 C.

While the province may not see extreme cold warnings, the province will still be in winter's icy grip a while longer.

The upper air pattern that has the jet stream going north to south out of the arctic is still with us, Russo said.

"As a result you get a continuous pipeline of cold air that streams from the arctic down to the prairies."

If you are in or around Regina, you know winter is still here.

There were blowing snow advisories Monday for Regina, Fort Qu'Appelle, Indian Head, Lumsden, Pilot Butte, Estevan, Weyburn, Radville, Milestone, Carlyle, Oxbow, Carnduff, Bienfait and Stoughton.

"Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations," said an Environment Canada alert. "Visibility may be significantly and suddenly reduced to near zero."

Conditions are expected to improve by the afternoon and temperatures are expected to gradually warm up through the week.

"The forecast we have right now does have things getting milder so it's going to feel like winter is over," Russo said. "We are looking at temperatures as we get into the weekend being in the minus single digits.

"Now if you define winter in a different way as far as normal temperatures go or average temperatures, they are going to remain below average for the foreseeable future."