Buena Vista, Saskatoon: winter sun, snow and spring melt
Compared with 51 Saskatoon neighbourhoods, Buena Vista gets less December sun than most along its residential streets (median under half an hour on December 21, city median 1.3 h), has more snow on the ground than most in March, and less spring ponding than most in a typical year (LandMood model, 2016–2025).
Winter sun
On December 21, the ground along Buena Vista's residential streets gets a median of under half an hour of direct sun, less than the 1.3 h median across Saskatoon's neighbourhoods (the 3rd least sunny of 51).
On December 21, about 54% of Buena Vista's street-side ground gets under half an hour of direct sun (city median 39%).
Which way homes face
Most residential streets here run east–west (about 63% of street length), so homes mostly face north or south: roughly half of those homes have a north-facing front, with a shaded driveway and a sunnier back yard in winter.
Snow and spring melt
In March, about 76% of Buena Vista's street-side ground still holds 20 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 50%), the 2nd snowiest of 51.
During spring melt, the model expects water to pool (1 cm or more) on about 6% of the street-side and open ground in Buena Vista (city median 9%), the 11th least prone to spring ponding of 51.
Buying a home in Buena Vista: what winter looks like
If you are looking at homes in Buena Vista or thinking of living there, expect less winter sun than most of Saskatoon on the ground along its streets: a median of under half an hour of direct sun on December 21, against 1.3 h for the city.
Most streets in Buena Vista run east–west, so on those streets many homes face north. A north-facing home usually has its front yard, driveway and front steps in the house's own shadow from about November to February, while its back yard is more likely to get the low sun. A south-facing home is the reverse.
Buena Vista has more snow on the ground in March than most neighbourhoods and less spring ponding than most in our model. Wherever a driveway or walk sits in shade, snow tends to stay longer, and melt water that runs across it in the day can refreeze at night.
At a viewing, check:
- which way the front of the house faces;
- whether the driveway and front steps are in shade around midday;
- where snow has piled up and where melt water has stood or refrozen;
- where the downspouts empty and whether the yard slopes away from the house.
The full list is in buying a house in Saskatoon in winter.
Within Buena Vista, two homes on the same street can differ more than Buena Vista differs from the rest of Saskatoon. Put the home you are looking at on the map to see its own front yard, back yard and driveway.
Compared with its neighbours
Along its residential streets Buena Vista gets 1.5 h less direct sun on December 21 than neighbouring Queen Elizabeth (0.0 h against 1.5 h).
| Neighbourhood | Sun, Dec 21 (median) | 20 cm+ snow in March | Spring ponding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista | 0.0 h | 76% | 6% |
| Haultain | 0.8 h | 65% | 12% |
| Nutana | 0.0 h | 81% | 7% |
| Queen Elizabeth | 1.5 h | 51% | 5% |
Compared with the rest of Saskatoon
| Measure | Buena Vista | Saskatoon median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sun on Dec 21, street-side ground (median) | 0.0 h | 1.3 h | 49th of 51 |
| Street-side ground with under 30 min of sun on Dec 21 | 54% | 39% | 2nd of 51 |
| Street-side ground with 20 cm+ of snow in March | 76% | 50% | 2nd of 51 |
| Ground where melt water pools in spring (1 cm+) | 6% | 9% | 41st of 51 |
| Residential streets running east–west | 63% | 39% | 3rd of 51 |
Rank 1 is the highest value among 51 residential neighbourhoods with enough data. See which ones get the most and least December sun in the Saskatoon winter sun ranking.
How these numbers are made
LandMood follows the sun hour by hour over 1-metre public lidar of the real houses and trees (Natural Resources Canada) with ten years of weather (2016–2025). For this page we sampled the ground along residential streets (boulevards, front yards and driveways as a band, never a single home) and open ground away from buildings, across the whole neighbourhood. Snow and water are modelled tendencies shown as shares and bands, not measurements.
Questions people ask
How much winter sun does Buena Vista, Saskatoon get?
On December 21 the ground along residential streets in Buena Vista gets a median of under half an hour of direct sun in LandMood's model, against 1.3 h for the median neighbourhood in Saskatoon. Individual homes vary with the direction they face, trees and neighbouring houses.
Do homes in Buena Vista face north or south?
Most residential streets here run east–west (about 63% of street length), so homes mostly face north or south: roughly half of those homes have a north-facing front, with a shaded driveway and a sunnier back yard in winter. Check a specific home on the map before you decide.
What should I check when buying a home in Buena Vista in winter?
Check which way the front of the house faces, whether the driveway and front steps are in shade around midday, where snow piles up and melt water stands or refreezes, and where the downspouts empty. In LandMood's model the ground along Buena Vista's residential streets gets a median of under half an hour of direct sun on December 21 (city median 1.3 h), but two homes on the same street can differ more than that, so check the specific home on the map.
Does snow last long in Buena Vista?
In March, about 76% of Buena Vista's street-side ground still holds 20 cm of snow or more in a typical year (city median 50%), the 2nd snowiest of 51. Shaded ground on the north side of houses and trees keeps snow longest.