Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Snow: Round 2    More snow for the western prairies.  The eastern prairies stay dry

Snow falls again in southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta Thursday night and Friday, with another 20 cm or more expected in some areas.  A slow moving weather pattern is sitting over much of Western Canada, with high pressure to the north, and a low pressure system set to cross the region south of the border, pushing snow into western Canada.   It’s a similar setup to the snow we had at the beginning of the week, though it won’t reach as far east.    Before heading out, a reminder to check Environment Canada for weather warnings, and 511Alberta for road conditions.

Thursday

Alberta

A second round of snow begins in southern Alberta Thursday. It’s the perfect setup for potentially high snowfalls, especially in the southwestern foothills.  Areas between the Rockies and Cypress Hills could get as much as 15-20 cm of snow by Friday afternoon.   A snowfall warning has been issued for this area.    A high in Saskatchewan will generate an upslope flow against the southern foothills, enhancing the snowfall.

Calgary could see 5 to 10 cm of snow, and north of that city, amounts will be near 5 cm.

The snow will intensify all day expanding all the way east into Saskatchewan, and north beyond Edmonton by the late afternoon.  Snow will continue to fall overnight.   As the map below shows,  15 to 20 cm of snow will be possible in much of southern Alberta between 6:00 AM Thursday and 6:00 AM Friday:

Thick fog in eastern and central Alberta cloud linger into the afternoon, until the weather system bringing the snow moves through.

Northwestern Alberta can expect 2-4 cm of snow in the morning, which will spread southeast during the day.

Highs in central and southern Alberta will range from -5 to -10.   It will be even colder to the north.   North of Edmonton, expect highs between -9 and -12.

Meanwhile, in…..

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Fog developed Wednesday night in many areas of Saskatchewan, and will improve during the day.  Fog is likely to return tonight in southeastern Saskatchewan.

The map below shows snow expected up until 6 AM Friday morning:

A few cm of snow can be expected in west central Saskatchewan today, from the system that will give heavier snow to parts of Alberta.   In Manitoba, snow will come from two sources.  There will be lake effect snow off the Lakes, with the strongest snow band just east of Lake Winnipeg.  Expect about 10 cm.   Light snow is possible near Lakes Manitoba and Winnipegosis, but in smaller amounts.

There will be some cloud west of Regina and Saskatoon, but east of there to Winnipeg, expect mainly sunny conditions.   This doesn’t mean it will be warm.   The area will be under the influence of arctic high pressure with a cold northwesterly flow.   High temperatures in most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba will range from -5 to -15.

Friday

Friday will be a chilly day across the prairies.  The map below shows temperatures expected in the late afternoon:

Alberta

Snow and cold weather continue in Alberta on Friday.   The snow will be light, but persistent south of Athabasca all the way into Montana, and more intermittent to the north.    For most of Alberta, highs will come in around -9 or -10.  Snowfall accumulations Friday will be lighter than Thursday night, with 5-10 cm falling between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm south of Red Deer.   North of Red Deer, accumulations will be lighter.   The heaviest snow can be expected near the Milk River Ridge, along the US border, with between 10 and 15 cm of snow.

Saskatchewan

In southern Saskatchewan, west of Chaplin, snow will continue to fall throughout the day.  The rest of southern Saskatchewan will be under a cloudy sky, but should stay dry.   The sun is likely to come out for areas north of the Yellowhead Highway from time to time through the day.  Snow amounts will be generally light, though there is a possibility of moderate accumulations between Maple Creek and Grasslands National Park.  Across the province, it will be cold, with highs reaching -10 at best.

Manitoba

Like Saskatchewan, Manitoba will be dry, partly cloudy, and cold.   There may be a few flurries in the central Interlake, but accumulations should be minor.  The map above shows a cold, below average day.  The long term average highs are -5 for Winnipeg and Brandon.

Saturday

Alberta

The snow moves on.  In the early morning, there will likely continue to be snow near the US border, but it will taper off as the system moves south.   That will lead into some dry weather for the remainder of the day.  Most of Alberta will experience a sunny Saturday afternoon,  and it may be slightly warmer over the foothills, where temperatures could climb to the -5 to -10 range.     Elsewhere, colder than average weather continues, with many parts of central and southern Alberta stuck in the -15 to -20 range.

Saskatchewan

Most of Saskatchewan will be dry, with a mix of sun and cloud.   Light snow is possible in the northernmost regions of the province.   A high pressure system will build through the day at the surface in southwestern Saskatchewan.   That will clear the sky for the late afternoon.   Aloft, a strong northerly flow will draw in cold air.   So, despite sunshine, it will be a cold day,  with highs of -10 to -15 across the province.

Manitoba

Building high pressure to the west will bring a mainly sunny to partly cloudy sky to most of Manitoba.  Light snow can be expected on and off through the day in northern Manitoba.   By the afternoon, a westerly wind could generate light lake effect snow east of Lake Winnipeg.     Agricultural regions of Manitoba are expected to remain dry.    In won’t be as cold in Manitoba Saturday as the other two prairie provinces, with highs between -5 and -10.

Sunday

Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

All three prairie provinces will have rather quiet weather with varying amounts of sunshine.   By afternoon, it should be mainly sunny, with no significant precipitation as high pressure continues to dominate at the surface.   The active, snowy weather previously advertised for Alberta on Sunday will be postponed into early next week.   Aloft, a high pressure ridge off the BC coast will put the prairies in a northerly flow, so it will be another cold day between highway 2 in Alberta and the Manitoba/Ontario boundary.   In that area, highs between -10 and -20 can be expected.   It will be warmer in western Alberta, with a westerly surface wind boosting temperatures to the 0 to -5 range west of highway 2.

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