Prairie Weather This Week – Midweek Update Dec 18 |

Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Alberta Clipper Brings Snow, Wind, and Arctic Cold to the Prairies

Another Alberta Clipper will sweep across the Canadian Prairies Friday, delivering snow, strong winds, and rapidly falling temperatures, before a surge of Arctic air settles in for the weekend. Travel on rural roads and highways may be difficult Friday into early Saturday due to blowing snow and reduced visibility. Conditions improve by Sunday as skies clear, but dangerously cold wind chills below -30 will persist.

Livestock producers should plan for prolonged exposure to extreme cold, with wind chills posing a high risk of cold stress through the weekend.

Thursday

Alberta

A brief lull in the active winter pattern today ends as another Alberta Clipper system develops late in the day across southern Alberta. Central and northern Alberta, including Edmonton, Slave Lake, and Peace River. Will see light to moderate snow developing overnight, with localized heavier snowfall near Peace River. Total snowfall could reach 15–20 cm by Friday morning. Winds strengthen later in the day, with gusts up to 70 km/h in open areas, creating blowing snow and poor visibility, especially on rural roads.

Across southern Alberta, from Calgary eastward, a warm front pushing north may bring a brief period of freezing rain late this evening before sharply colder air returns overnight. Temperatures south of Calgary may rise slightly above freezing ahead of the system, while areas north of Edmonton remain much colder, with daytime highs staying in the minus teens to minus 20s.

Saskatchewan

Southern Saskatchewan continues to recover from earlier blizzard conditions. Winds ease through the day, improving visibility, although drifting snow remains a concern in open and exposed areas.

Central and northern Saskatchewan remain under Arctic high pressure, bringing a clear sky but intense cold. Morning wind chills range from –40 to –45, with daytime highs across most of the province in the mid minus 20s. Areas west of Regina will be slightly milder, with highs between –8 and –16.

Cloud cover increases overnight as the next Alberta Clipper approaches.

Manitoba

COLD! Lingering snow from the previous day will continue in the early morning across southern Manitoba. By midday, the snow moves east, and arctic high pressure takes over. That will clear out the sky, but it will also draw bitterly cold air into the province. Highs across Manitoba from north to south will range from -23 to -30. And with a brisk northerly wind, wind chills will be in the -40s, creating a high risk of stress to livestock. The map below shows expected wind chill in the early evening:

That same wind may also kick snow up off the ground, reducing visibility on the roads. Though snow will no longer be falling from the sky by the afternoon, near blizzard conditions are possible due solely to the wind, the snow, and the blowing snow.

Friday

Alberta

The developing Clipper tracks east across southern Alberta. It will move rapidly eastward. Central and northern Alberta see widespread snow continuing from the previous night, tapering late in the day. Fresh snow, paired with gusty northwest wind (up to 70 km/h), will create localized whiteout conditions through mid-morning.
Southern Alberta sees early morning freezing drizzle or wet snow east of Calgary before temperatures plunge behind the cold front. The southwest foothills could still see wind gusts approaching 100 km/h in the early morning. Snowfall and weather conditions won’t be as bad as they were Wednesday in central and southern Alberta, especially after the wind dies down in the mid-morning. Snow accumulations will be minor, except for northwestern Alberta, where up to 10 cm could fall in the Fort McMurray area. A cold front will dive from north to south after the clipper passes, which means by the afternoon, temperatures will be in the -20s across Alberta north of the Trans Canada Highway. To the south, temperatures will fall to the -10 to -15 degree range.

Saskatchewan

The Alberta Clipper sweeps into the province Friday morning, bringing a broad area of snow – heaviest from Saskatoon through Yorkton and into the northern grainbelt. Expected totals: 10–15 cm, possibly up to 20 cm in the east-central belt. Winds shift southeast to northwest as the system passes, gusting 60 to 70 km/h, producing blowing snow and localized travel disruptions along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor.
Temperatures fall sharply by evening, dropping from the minus teens to the minus 20s, marking the start of a cold weekend

Manitoba

Snow moves in Friday afternoon and continues into Saturday morning. The heaviest band looks to stretch from Dauphin through Brandon toward Portage la Prairie, with around 15 to 20 cm possible. Ahead of the low, southerly winds and milder air may bring brief mixed precipitation, including a risk of freezing rain southwest of Melita. Blowing snow becomes an issue overnight as colder air rushes in from the northwest.

Saturday

Alberta

Behind the departing low, skies begin clearing under building Arctic high pressure. A few flurries persist in the north and east, snow falls in the mountains, and there may be some scattered flurries from Calgary to Saskatchewan, but conditions improve west to east through the day. Temperatures remain well below seasonal averages — daytime highs near –15°C in the south and –20°C or lower central and north. From Red Deer east along and near Highway 12, temperatures may even stay below -30.

Saskatchewan

A secondary weak low clips central regions, bringing another 2–5 cm of snow from Prince Albert east toward Melfort. Elsewhere, clearing develops with northwest winds slowly diminishing and shifting to the west. It will be a very cold day, with temperatures ranging from -23 to -27. Then overnight, The cold settles in firmly overnight, with lows in the –25 to –33°C range and wind chills near –40.

Manitoba

Snow continues in the Interlake and southeastern Manitoba through the morning before tapering off to flurries by afternoon. Additional accumulations of 2–4 cm are possible. Arctic high pressure builds in later in the day, ushering in a sharp temperature drop. Expect daytime highs in the –18 to –22°C range, with lows from -25 to -27 overnight. The sky will clear through the day, setting the stage for a frigid Sunday.

Sunday

Alberta

Light snow is expected in northern Alberta, but in central and southern regions, it will be a sunny day. Expect morning lows between –25 and –30°C, except for southwestern Alberta. West of Fort Macleod, warm westerlies will hold overnight temperatures to near -5. In that very small corner of the province, temperatures will hold steady near -5 through the rest of the day. It will be cold, though, in the rest of the province with highs between -22 and -27. Confidence in this forecast is only moderate. If a lee trough develops, the warmer weather could spread further east and north. However, don’t count on it.

Saskatchewan

Most regions will be dominated by a clear sky and calm wind. This is due to Arctic high pressure, bringing Arctic temperatures. Expect morning lows between –28 and –33°C, with extreme wind chills of –40 in open areas. In the afternoon, temperatures won’t change much, with afternoon highs between -25 and -30, with wind chills remaining near -40. There is a potential for some slightly milder air in southwestern Saskatchewan, with highs between -12 and -15 in an near Swift Current. Only isolated flurries possible in the northwest. Elsewhere, no significant precipitation is expected.

Manitoba

It could be potentially the coldest morning so far this season, with wind chills possibly reaching –45 across the north and between -30 and -35 in the central and eastern regions. It will be sunny, due to the Arctic high pressure that brings in all the cold air. No significant precipitation is expected in Manitoba, which will have a stable but bitterly cold end to the weekend.