Daytime Brief: Christmas storm, freezing drizzle and 90 km/h gusts
Digital Reporter
Sunday, December 21, 2014, 11:59 AM - A Christmas storm is brewing, but Mother Nature isn't waiting until the big day to make things difficult for holiday travellers. Here's what you need to know about the first day of winter.
Atlantic Canada
Bundle up, Atlantic Canada. The first day of winter will certainly be feeling like it across the board.
- Maritimes: Light sea flurries across the coasts, persisting until Monday evening. Cooler temperatures are expected across the board as high pressure builds in for the weekend and into the first week of winter.
- Long Range: A storm is expected to move in to the Maritimes overnight Christmas Eve into Christmas Day --bringing heavy rain and snow, with strong winds of up to 90-100 km/h, especially along the Nova Scotia coastline, but also a big warm-up.
Ontario and Quebec
Temperatures will be on the rebound Monday into Tuesday especially for southern areas as an Alberta clipper enters the region, ushering in warm moist southern air.
- Southern Ontario: A relatively calm day is expected across the province Sunday, however that all changes on Christmas Eve. "Christmas Eve into Christmas morning is looking to be a very windy across Southern Ontario, especially around Lake Erie," forewarns Weather Network meteorologist Erin Wenckstern. "Areas around Niagara could potentially see gusts of up to 90 km/h."
- Northern Ontario: Snow showers through to Monday. 3-6 cm around the shores of Lake Superior, less than 3 cm elsewhere.
- Quebec: High pressure and light wind could lead to some fog patches in Montreal and Quebec City on Sunday.
Prairies
Above seasonal temperatures continue, but a Clipper could make travel difficult in some areas.
- Alberta/Saskatchewan: Cold front brings light snow along a frontal boundary, 3-6 cm forecast. Freezing drizzle possible for parts of Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, another clipper will develop on the lee side of the Rockies in southern Alberta on Christmas eve, bringing the potential for significant snowfall to the province for Christmas day.
- Manitoba: Flurries for Winnipeg early this week, with little accumulation, in the 1-3 cm range.
British Columbia
Dissipating trough swings through, bringing modest rain/snow amounts through the Monday morning, depending on elevation. Temperatures trending cooler, returning to seasonal for the South Coast by Christmas.
Next system arrives Monday, with modest snow amounts inland. Possibility of mixing or wet flurries for higher elevations Christmas evening into the overnight, with little accumulation.
With files from Daniel Martins
For a list of all watches and warnings across the country, visit our ALERTS page.
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