Thursday:
Alberta
Thursday morning, most of Alberta is cold and dry, with an extensive fog bank near Lethbridge. However, a Low pressure system developing on the BC side of the Peace Region will destabilize things in northwestern Alberta. Expect snow in the morning from Grande Prairie to Lloydminster, expanding across northern Alberta, and stretching southward along the Saskatchewan boundary to Provost by evening. Further to the west, a westerly wind will maintain dry, breezy weather west of Highway 2, and in that area, highs will again jump above the melting point as northeastern Alberta continues to shiver.
Saskatchewan
Southern Saskatchewan, west of Moose Jaw, will break out of the bitterly cold weather, while the rest of the province continues with temperatures near -20, and high wind chill. Some mild air from the southwest will take temperatures to highs between -5 and -10 between Moose Jaw and the Alberta boundary. The rest of the province will be dry, as it remains under the influence of the Arctic high. The high does show signs of weakening by this point, giving hope that the coldest weather will soon have come and gone.
Manitoba
Still under the influence of the Arctic high, Manitoba will not experience any snowfall, except for the far north. This will likely be the coldest day of the week for the Red River Valley, with late afternoon temperatures dropping to -30. That very cold air will extend east of Winnipeg to Highway 12. West of Winnipeg, temperatures will drop to the -30s all the way into Saskatchewan. The rest of the province will be a bit warmer, with highs in the -20s. Wind chill will be an issue, as even the slightest breeze can have an effect on a very low temperature.
Friday:
Alberta
Expect another dry day in Alberta, with no significant precipitation anywhere in the province. In the south, a westerly wind will reinforce the dry conditions, and boost temperatures. Elsewhere in the province, the wind will be light and variable, and we can expect a mix of sun and cloud. South of Fort Macleod and Lethbridge, a brisk Chinook wind could boost temperatures as high as 10 degrees, while temperatures above the melting point will occur across the rest of the south, and west of Highway 2, along the foothills. The rest of the province will be warmer than average with highs from -5 to 0.
Saskatchewan
Milder air begins to take over a larger portion of the province as the Arctic high that has dominated the weather pattern all week continues to move away. Highs of -5 to -10 can be expected across western regions, though it will remain quite cold elsewhere. However, the warmer air also brings some moisture, and a band of snow will cross the northern part of the province from west to east through the day. Southern and central regions will remain dry.
Manitoba
The Arctic High that dominated the weather pattern for the past few days, moves off to the southeast. The day will begin dry with sunshine across Manitoba. Some cloud can be expected to develop during the day, and in the far north, a band of snow will move across the permafrost from west to east. The southern 3/4 of the province won’t see any snow, so no new moisture for agricultural regions. It will be a cold day, with highs staying below -15 across the entirety of the province.
Saturday:
Very mild air moves in across the southern prairies, with no beneficial moisture. There will, though, be some significant snowfall during the afternoon and evening across northern Alberta, as a trough of low pressure develops in the area. In those snowy northern areas, it won’t be that cold, with temperatures climbing to between -5 and 0. Expect 10-20 cm of back-breaking heavy, wet snow. Travel will be impacted. Across the central and southern prairies, mild air is drawn in on a southwesterly wind, and the downsloping effect of the Alberta foothills will be felt all the way east into Manitoba. It means the potential for double digit highs in southern Alberta, highs of 0-5 in central Alberta and western Saskatchewan, and highs near zero across the rest of the southern prairies. This is not helpful to the soil moisture situation in southern Alberta, already suffering from a lack of snow cover. While some snow may disappear in western Saskatchewan, it ought not to be warm enough to cause the snow to completely vanish.
Sunday:
This is a day to pay attention to weather warnings, especially in southern Saskatchewan. A Low will develop in the morning in southern Alberta, and other than producing cloud cover, it’s effect will be minimal. East of the low, mild air will be drawn into southern Saskatchewan, and as the Low moves eastward, precipitation will develop. Here’s where it gets messy. The precipitation will fall in the form of rain, or freezing rain. This will cause dangerous travel conditions in southern Saskatchewan, which will last throughout the day. It won’t be until evening when the rain and freezing rain completes a transformation to snow. This may increase highway hazards, as a layer of snow will cover ice on the pavement below. Keep on top of weather and highway conditions before travelling in southern Saskatchewan on Sunday. Similar conditions may develop in southern Manitoba on Monday. Back in Alberta, the Low may produce some rain or snow in the southeast, from Lethbridge to Saskatchewan in the afternoon. Freezing rain is less likely. It will be warm, with temperatures rising above zero from the foothills to Regina, and remaining rather mild in southeastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
COMPARE TO LAST WEEK: Prairie Weather This Week – Dec 2
