The countdown is on to the unofficial start of summer.

Provincial parks open for the season, this Thursday, and Mary-Anne Wihak with the Ministry of Parks says they're hoping for more warm, windy weather in the next week in the northwest.

"There's still some snow on the ground in some patches and still a bit of ice on the lakes, so we haven't got our boat docks and launches in place for Battlefords Provincial Park or Meadow Lake yet," said Wihak.

For the second year, there will be a draw for first-come, first-served camping at Makwa Lake. It was implemented last year to eliminate the opening lineup but Wihak says you don't have to be there first thing to get a site.

Reported by News Talk Radio's Geoff Smith.

Edited by News Talk Radio's Sabeen Ahmad.