Strange snowballs appeared in Major

By Joan Janzen

Everyone expects to see snow in November, but a strange phenomenon appeared in fields around Major, Sask. back in March of 1984. Photos published in Major’s history book “Where the Meadowlark Sings” pictured snowballs two and a half feet in diameter.

In March of 1984 people around Major watched snow roll and tumble, filling fields with snowballs up to two and a half feet in diameter. Photo “Where the Meadowlark Sings”

These were not man-made snowballs. The snowballs appeared on the fields of the Edmunds farm after a heavy, wet snowfall was combined with high winds. Rain fell earlier in the day, followed by a drop in temperature which created a slick ice surface over the fields.

As the wind picked up, drifting occurred, causing snow to slide over the crusty surface, then roll and tumble gathering more snow. Needless to say it was quite a sight to watch the fields fill with snowballs that were rolling, stopping and rolling again. Some were solid snow and others were hollow cylinders, reaching sizes of up to 2 and half feet in diameter.