While Estevan residents bundled up and broke out their hardly used shovels after the first major storm of the season, producers in the southeast were content to let the new layer of snow simply lie untouched, as it helped provide some desperately needed moisture.

"I think the snow is most welcome," expressed RM of Reciprocity Reeve Alan Arthur, "Everybody is concerned about a pretty dry winter and prospects for a pretty dry spring, so snow at this time of the year - and it's not going to stay too long - is pretty welcome."

However, it isn't going to be a one time done deal to solve the issue for farmers, despite the foot of white stuff that the area received.

"The moisture content of snow isn't anything like a good rain. I think this moisture, depending on how it goes, would probably be the equivalent of about an inch to inch and three quarters of precipitation. To get the topsoil charged, we probably would need a couple three more inches. I'm not sure what the subsoil would require, but I expect a bit more than that," said Arthur.

He added that the low spots in his area are still wet, so producers won't be cheering for an overabundance of moisture. Timely rains in the growing season or just before spring would be more ideal.

Overall, a positive vibe is to be felt in the Reciprocity area, as winter is not over yet and it's still uncertain whether the spring will see many downpours.

"I think it gives you another boost of confidence to go out and do it again this year. Nobody was hurting that bad, we haven't lost a crop in March yet, so there's still lots of time to get the moisture that we need. This gives you a little bit of a more secure outlook, that it still can snow and we have something on the ground that's going to put some moisture in the ground for spring," Arthur stated.