Prairies: Clipper brings snow, gusty winds before temperatures drop
A clipper moving in from the Rockies is set to bring modest amounts of snowfall to the central Prairies, where snowfall and winter storm warnings are in place for some areas. While the major cities will avoid any significant accumulations, places such as Calgary and Saskatoon could get a light dusting of snow through Sunday. Winds will also be gusty Saturday, accompanied by above-zero daytime highs for most of the region before a cooldown starts Sunday. We have the latest details, below.
WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS
Snowfall, winter storm warnings in effect for parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan; up to 15 cm in some areas through Sunday
Temperatures gradually fall to seasonal levels into next week
Another system for the region Monday, will be fast-moving
Keep on top of weather alerts for your area
SATURDAY: SNOWFALL, WINTER STORM WARNINGS ISSUED, BUT NOT EVERYONE AFFECTED
A clipper sloping along the foothills has started spreading snow across central Alberta and Saskatchewan Saturday and will push some of the precipitation southward in Alberta. However, the heaviest snow remains well north of places such as Calgary and Saskatoon.
The expected accumulations in parts of the western Prairies prompted Environment Canada to issue snowfall and winter storm warnings. 10-15 cm of snow is expected to fall around Grande Prairie and along the Rockies, as well as in central Saskatchewan and parts of eastern Manitoba, through Sunday. In Manitoba, the snow will move into central areas late Saturday afternoon and will become heavier in the evening.
Winds will also be strong at times Saturday, with gusts reaching 50-70 km/h in Alberta and Saskatchewan. They will continue overnight before beginning to die down Sunday morning. Winds will pick up Sunday in Manitoba.
Snow will taper off across Alberta through the overnight, the pre-dawn hours on Sunday for Saskatchewan and by Sunday afternoon in Manitoba, as the system moves into northwestern Ontario.
Temperatures will remain mild across the board Saturday, with daytime highs sitting above zero in the southern half of the Prairies. Manitoba won't be quite as warm, however, with Winnipeg likely hovering around 1°C.
On Sunday, more seasonal temperatures return and continune into early next week. Northern Manitoba will see the coldest daytime highs, while parts of southern Alberta may see above-zero temperatures linger.
BEYOND THE WEEKEND: MORE SNOW EARLY NEXT WEEK, MILD AIR RETURNS SOONAFTER
To kick off the next week, a fast-moving system is set to race across the northern parts of the Prairies, starting in northern Alberta early Monday and reaching central Manitoba Monday night.
As it turns out, the return to seasonal temperatures that began Sunday will be short-lived, with mild Pacific air returning to much of the region in the mid-to-late week. Beyond that, a colder weekend beckons.
Check back as we continue to update the Prairie forecast