Arctic air, multi-day snowfall sweeps through the Prairies
Winter returns to the Prairies in a hurry as an Arctic outbreak and a multi-day snowfall event sweeps across the region
The week started quite mild across parts of the Prairies as temperatures soared to near double-digit highs mid-week. Things will change in a hurry however, with an Arctic outbreak and multi-day snowfall event sending the region right back into the heart of winter to kick off February.
A widespread snow will span much of the region by Friday, remaining unsettled into the end of the weekend, as well.
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Temperatures will plunge 10 to 20 degrees colder than normal, dipping into the -30s for many places through the weekend. Some areas will even reach dangerously cold values into the -40s by Sunday morning.
The colder than normal temperatures are expected to dominate through the month of February.
Back into winter this weekend
Multiple systems will keep an active storm track through central Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba as we kick off February.
On Friday, the snow becomes widespread across Alberta, including the QE2 from Edmonton through to Calgary. The snow will spread across much of southern and central Saskatchewan by Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, the snow will persist across central Alberta, including Edmonton, though moving out of southern Saskatchewan and into Winnipeg, Man.
Conditions will remain unsettled into Sunday, with snow flurries continuing at times across the region.
Throughout the span of the weekend, a widespread 5-10 of snow will fall, with heavier totals up to 20 cm targeting northern sections of the Prairies.
Dangerous cold wind chills return
The bigger impact perhaps will be the dramatic temperature swing, as daytime highs fall 20 degrees below normal by Sunday and Monday.
This outbreak of Arctic air will also see windchill values return to, or below, the -30s, which becomes dangerously cold with any outdoor exposure. Calgary's forecast into the -20s on Sunday and Monday would be a first for the city this entire winter.
Calgary is also experiencing a bit of a 'snow drought' so far this winter. From December until January 30, only 11.2 cm has fallen. That's well below the nearly 33 cm that typically falls between the two months.
While the temperature swings will continue during the month February, colder conditions are expected to dominate, and win out.
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