Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Midweek Update Jan 30
Wintry Weather Returns
The need for snow in southern Alberta is very real. And the forecast for the foreseeable future is very disappointing. This is an Alberta highway camera shot taken in the late morning Thursday, January 30. Highway 2 at Granum:
There is no snow on the ground, and while cold, wintry weather conditions return for a few days, snowfall in this area will be minimal. This map of snow accumulation shows a fair amount of snow falling along the Yellowhead highway up until Sunday night, but southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan will remain dry.
Thursday
Alberta
An upper warm front from the west coast provides snow to north central Alberta. Within provincial boundaries, the front and the snow will extend from Jasper and Grande Prairie to Lloydminster and Bonnyville. Accumulations should be 5 cm or less, though there may be more in the higher elevations of the foothills along Highway 16. North of the front, it will be quite cold. To the south, warmer weather remains, with a westerly wind continuing to bring dry weather. From Nanton south to Cardston, and from Pincher creek east to Taber, highs could reach the 5-10 degree range with a strong and gusty wind. Elsewhere in the south, highs will be closer to 0. The north will see the return of -15 degree afternoon temperatures, as arctic air begins to make its way south from the Territories.
Saskatchewan
Arctic high pressure builds, and sends cold air plunging into the prairies. Afternoon temperatures in northeastern Saskatchewan will be near -30, with -20s quite widespread across the northern half of the province. Wind chills from -40 to -50 can be expected Thursday night across northern and eastern Saskatchewan. With the passage of a weak cold front, the wind flips from west to east, but the southern part of Saskatchewan should still reach highs between -5 and 0. Along the front, which will travel north-south, there will be a band of light snow, likely affecting travel on the Yellowhead highway.
Manitoba
Arctic high pressure in the Territories will dispatch some very cold air into Manitoba starting Thursday and continuing into the weekend. As the cold air pushes south, there will be a band of snow descending across the interlake through the midday, tapering off toward late afternoon. In the south, it won’t yet be super-cold, but a cooling trend will begin. In the south, highs will still reach -5 to near 0, but the arctic invasion will drop temperatures all the way to the -20s and -30s from the northern basin of Lake Winnipeg all the way into Nunavut.
Friday
Alberta
North central Alberta can expect a fairly significant amount of snow Friday afternoon, with moisture coming in from a Low off Vancouver Island. Overall, 5-10 cm of snow is likely, but there will be a stripe of higher snowfall accumulations (see map above). In that band of heavier snow, expect blustery wind gusting to 50 or 60 km/h, producing reduced visibility in blowing snow, along with high wind chill. Further north, temperatures will likely remain in the -10 to -20 range all day. In the south, a westerly wind continues, and it will stay dry and warm. Temperatures in southern Alberta will rise above the melting point, with high single digit numbers achieved again south of Nanton.
Saskatchewan
Arctic air continues to slowly creep from north to south. North of Saskatoon, highs will range from -10 to -20, with southwestern regions remaining a few degrees warmer. As the map above indicates, the heaviest snow will be along the Yellowhead highway, with a good chance of strong wind and reduced visibility in blowing snow.
Manitoba
Arctic air spreads across the province on Friday. North of Thompson, highs will stay in the -30s, and to the south, highs will reach the minus teens and 20s. It’s a cold day, but a mainly dry day. The exception will be some early day snow in southwestern Manitoba. Accumulations will be light.
Saturday
Alberta
An Alberta Clipper, a fast moving Low pressure system forms over the Alberta Rockies west of High River early in the morning. Snow, with moisture fed in from another Low in British Columbia, will fall in Alberta through much of the day. In the morning, the snow will cover the northern half of the province. As the clipper moves into southern Saskatchewan by the end of the day, the area of snow will drag southward, into south central Alberta north of highway 3. South of highway 3, any snow that falls should be intermittent and light. There will be a strong north wind, and it will be cold, so expect reduced visibility in blowing snow, and high wind chill. In many areas of the province, there will be a reverse temperature trend. In other words, it will be warmer in the morning than in the afternoon, when temperatures across the province will range from -10 to -25.
Saskatchewan
An Alberta clipper enters Saskatchewan in the late morning, and sticks around the southern part of the province for the rest of the day. This spunky system will provide a brisk wind, and in combination with arctic air, will generate high wind chill, with the possibility of blowing snow. Most of the snow will fall to the north and southeast of the clipper, which will be centred over Regina in the late afternoon. The heaviest snow is likely to fall between Regina and Saskatoon, where the risk of reduced visibility in blowing snow is greatest. Overall, expect a snowy, windy, wintry day all across the province.
Manitoba
Snow and blowing snow, along with cold air and high wind chills can be expected across Manitoba Saturday. An easterly wind will feed into a Low pressure system in southern Saskatchewan. That wind may cause reduced visibility in blowing snow across the province. Though snow amounts may end up to be relatively minor, when the snow is falling, conditions will likely be blustery enough in many areas to cause disruption to travel. Check weather and road reports before heading out.
Sunday
Alberta
Snow will end in northern Alberta, but continue in the south, however accumulations will be disappointingly inadequate. Blowing snow could again be an issue in southern Alberta, as a strong northerly wind continues to bring in very cold air. The cold will reach the rest of the province as well, and if the wind is strong enough, it could kick up some snow already on the ground, and cause pockets of reduced visibility in blowing snow. And it will again be cold. Here is a map showing temperatures (without the wind chill) expected late in the afternoon:
Saskatchewan
As the map above shows, arctic air will cover Saskatchewan. The clipper system that brought snow to the province on Saturday will be well off into Ontario on Sunday, but thtat doesn’t mean and end to the snow everywhere. A system south of the border will push some moisture into southwestern Saskatchewan, largely in an area that missed out on the Saturday snow. Elsewhere in the province the sky will remain partly cloudy, with a band of snow across north central Saskatchewan possible in the afternoon. The snow there will be quite light.
Manitoba
The Alberta clipper crosses southern Manitoba during the day, and most of the province will get snow. However, it’s a fast moving system, so there is little opportunity for significant accumulation. After the Low passes, the wind shifts to the west across southern Manitoba, and the sky begins to clear in the afternoon. It won’t be quite as cold in Manitoba as it will be elsewhere on the prairies, with highs between -10 and -20.
COMPARE: Prairie Weather This Week – Jan 20
