Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Alberta stays mild as Arctic air returns to Saskatchewan and Manitoba
But First…… La Nina is here!
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed on January 9 that La Nina has begun. You can read about it here.
On Monday’s Prairie Weather This Week, we’ll take a look at the impact of La Nina in western Canada.
Thursday
Alberta
Chinook conditions remain in southern Alberta on Thursday, but the system does break down in northwestern Alberta, where snow will develop in the midday, as an upper level low pushes into the region. 5-8 cm are possible around High Level, and possibly as far east as fort McMurray. A low develops in northeastern BC, with a warm front toward Grande Prairie. Freezing rain could develop near Grande Prairie into the night, and may extend as far south as Red Deer by noon Friday. The rest of the province stays dry, with highs above zero along the foothills and in most areas west of highway 2. Expect strong wind Thursday night in southwestern Alberta. In eastern Alberta, high temperatures will likely range between 0 and -10.
Saskatchewan
Wednesday’s warm air will not carry over into Thursday, and highs in Saskatchewan will step back to the -5 to -15 range. Along with a northwest wind, snow is expected in the midday in eastern Saskatchewan, along the Manitoba boundary from Reindeer Lake all the way south to North Dakota.
Manitoba
Manitoba will have a rather mild day, with highs across the southern half of the province reaching -5 to -10. However, the warm air will be accompanied by snow, which will fall across the south for most of the day into the mid-evening. Snowfall intensity should be light to moderate, but there could be significant accumulations as the snow will continue to fall for several hours.
Friday
Alberta
Alberta will begin to transition out of the chinook, with a wind shift from the west to the northwest, and a cold front passing from north to south in the afternoon. There may be some snow and/or rain accompanying the front as it passes. Around noon, the front should be near Red Deer, and by evening, it’s south of Calgary. The front is attached to a Low in southern Saskatchewan. Because of wind, temperature, and precipitation conditions, freezing rain can’t be ruled out near the Saskatchewan boundary, and those with travel plans in southern Alberta during the day on Friday should be aware of weather forecasts and potential hazards. Before the frontal passage, temperatures in southern Alberta during the morning and midday will likely be in the high single digits, perhaps close to ten degrees. After the front passes, temperatures will drop below the freezing point in the early evening.
Saskatchewan
During the day, mild westerly wind will provide above freezing temperatures to western Saskatchewan. It is likely to be the last day for mild weather in Saskatchewan, as the Alberta chinook begins to break down. This will allow colder air into the region for the weekend. A Low pressure system will develop in the afternoon in north-central Saskatchewan, and with the temperature being so close to zero, it’s hard to determine what kind of precipitation will be associated with the Low. The potential is there for mixed precipitation or freezing rain from Regina northwest to Rosetown, and with snow elsewhere across most of the province.
Manitoba
Frigid weather returns to the far north, with temperatures in the -20s and -30s, but in the south, it’ll remain relatively mild, with highs again from -5 to -10. Another dry day is expected, though moisture from a low in southern Saskatchewan will generate snow in west central Manitoba between Pukatawagan and Lynn Lake. That will develop in the afternoon.
Saturday
Alberta
Snow from a Pacific weather system coming into the province from the northwest will develop on the eastern side of Alberta. Expect light snow throughout the day east of Highway 56. The snow is falling along an inverted trough stemming from a Low on the North Dakota/South Dakota border. Despite the northwest flow, it will remain rather mild in Alberta Saturday, with highs across the province ranging from 0 to +5
Saskatchewan
An invasion of Arctic air drops temperatures to the -20s and -30s across northern Saskatchewan. In the south, it’s much warmer. Highs will be near zero in the Saskatoon area, and above zero in southwestern Saskatchewan. However, a reverse temperature trend develops in which it gets colder as the afternoon wears on. Temperatures will likely drop 3-5 degrees by late afternoon. The arctic air is coming in on a northerly wind. There will be light snow in southern Saskatchewan through much of the day.
Manitoba
A Low in the Dakotas will push snow into southern Manitoba throughout the day. There may be some significant accumulations. The snow will be light, but because it will fall over a period of several hours, there will be opportunity for a few cm of accumulation through the interlake and in southern Manitoba. As the snow falls, so will the temperature. A northerly flow of Arctic air will drop temperatures into the -20s across the province.
Sunday
Courtesy: Pivotal Weather
Alberta
It’ll be another fairly warm weekend day in Alberta with highs not far from zero across most of the province. The warm air is coming into the province from the southeast, circulating clockwise around a high pressure system on the Saskatchewan Northwest Territories boundary. This circulation will draw in some snow from a Low that had given snowfall to Saskatchewan and Manitoba on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the snow will fall along the Alberta Saskatchewan boundary, and in the foothills and Rockies.
Saskatchewan
As Arctic high pressure builds through the day, snowfall in southeastern Saskatchewan gets pushed out of the province. The sky across most of the province will be clear, but it’s an arctic air mass, so it will be cold in most areas except for the southwest. Expect temperatures to fall to the -20s across most of the province. In southwestern regions, highs will come in between -5 and -10.
Manitoba
Arctic air plunges into the province, dropping temperatures to the minus teens and -20s all day long across all of the province. This is very dry Arctic air, so most areas will experience sunshine. Except for the north, where a weak low near Port Nelson will provide snow as far north as Churchill.
COMPARE: Prairie Weather This Week – Dec 30
