Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Meteorologist David Spence provides a mid-week prairie weather update.
Thursday
Alberta:
Double digit highs achieved early Thursday morning, as the temperature peaks in the mid teens. An upper level ridge of high pressure is keeping much of Alberta clear and sunny, and drawing mild air into the region. Clouds are expected between Edmonton and Grande Prairie during the afternoon. And there may be a few showers for the Grande Prairie area in the afternoon. Likely showers of rain, as it will be too warm for snow. This map shows temperature expected Thursday afternoon:
Saskatchewan:
The upper ridge will bring warmth to Saskatchewan as well. The day will be sunny, until some clouds move into west central Saskatchewan by the end of the afternoon. The weather will be mild, and quiet. The map below shows midday temperatures expected across Saskatchewan Thursday, and it will be unseasonably warm.
Manitoba:
The map above also shows a warm day for Manitoba, particularly in central regions, where the westerly flow will carry warm Pacific air into the region. Agricultural regions will stay dry, with snow in the far north, where temperatures are below the freezing point.
Friday
Alberta:
The upper ridge continues to build over the prairies, so it will be another exceptionally warm day, with highs in the mid teens expected. The warmest region is likely to be southeastern Alberta, where temperatures could climb to between 15 and 20 degrees. It will be windy, with gusts to 80 km/h across the south. At the surface, a Low pressure system will traverse the Northwest Territories and drag a weak cold front across northern and north central Alberta. Along the front, there may be a bit of snow in the morning, and some further rain showers in the afternoon.
Saskatchewan:
More dry weather for Saskatchewan on Friday, with a southerly wind. And, like Alberta it will be warm, with temperatures climbing above zero, even in the far north. From Saskatoon south, expect highs to reach the mid teens. Even though the weather itself is not harrowing, it’s good harrowing weather (see what I did there?).
Manitoba:
Most of Manitoba is likely to have a dry day, as the upper ridge covers the entire province. The exception is the far north, where it will remain colder than zero, and some snow is expected north of Gillam. Elsewhere, including in the agricultural regions, temperatures will be above average, reaching the teens in Westman, high single digits elsewhere.
Saturday
Alberta:
Saturday starts off warm and dry across the southern prairies. However, a Low will form in the foothill near Edson, and by mid morning it will generate some snow in the Grande Prairie Peace River region. The Low will evolve into an Alberta Clipper and rapidly move east. As it crosses central Alberta during the day, the snow will become more widespread in north central Alberta. The south stays dry, and south of the Trans Canada Highway, there is still a chance of one more day of mid teen high temperatures.
Saskatchewan:
Another uneventful day, as Saskatchewan will stay dry. Like Alberta and Manitoba, areas south of the Trans Canada highway can expect double digit high temperatures.
Manitoba:
Outside of some snow in the far north, it will be another dry day across Manitoba. The snow in the north comes out of a Low in Nunavut, crossing Hudson Bay. The snow will stay over the permafrost, and won’t affect any agricultural areas. Across the Interlake and the south, it will be warm, with double digit highs.
Sunday
Alberta:
Noticeably cooler weather returns to Alberta Sunday, though with highs in the positive single digits, it will remain warmer than average. The Low that formed in Alberta Saturday will move into Saskatchewan, and on the backside of the Low, expect some rain in central Alberta, and snow to the north, especially around Cold Lake and Fort MacMurray, extending west to Grande Prairie. The Edmonton region could see some rain. It will be dry in southern Alberta.
Saskatchewan:
The Alberta low is now in central Saskatchewan, with all its precipitation on the north side. In central and northern Saskatchewan, surface temperatures will be near zero, but that warm layer is shallow, extending only about half a kilometre into the air, so any precipitation that falls in the area will do so as snow. A weak cold front will develop from the Low, extending southwest to the Cypress Hills. However, with a lack of available moisture, it’s expected to stay dry. South of Prince Albert, temperatures will climb to the mid single digits, right around the seasonal average.
Manitoba:
The Saskatchewan low will shoot some snow into northern Manitoba, while it remains dry in the interlake and southern regions. In the south, it will be warm with double digit highs as a flow of mild air comes in from the southwest. The warmth doesn’t extend all that far north, with temperatures in the northern half of the province remaining below zero. Far northern regions of Manitoba will get a break from the snow, and will appreciate it.
The plows have already been busy at the Lac Brochet airport in northern Manitoba. This photo is from midday Thursday, Nov 7.
