Up to 20 cm: Snow replaces warmth in Alberta as cooldown takes place
A surge of Arctic air is set to bring heavy snowfall to parts of Alberta, with up to 15-20 cm of accumulation and powerful wind gusts exceeding 90 km/h--creating hazardous travel conditions.
A mild start to the weekend occurred on parts of the Prairies, but the finish to it will be quite the contrast.
While considerable warmth was documented in Alberta on Saturday and for a short time on Sunday morning, with an assist from downsloping winds, the daytime highs will take a noticeable plunge on Sunday. And there will be accumulating snowfall for many areas, with a swath of 5-20 cm possible.
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Wind warnings are in place as some areas could see gusts of 80-90+ km/h, along with snowfall warnings.
Drivers are urged to prepare for Sunday travel risks with the winds, and snow-related disruptions.
Snow band, winds could impact Sunday travel
Sunday morning, mild temperatures were widespread across southern Alberta.
Lethbridge hovered near 12°C, while portions in northern Alberta were near -25°C (Fort Chipewyan), indicating an extreme temperature gradient across the province.
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Winds are strongest Sunday morning in the classic chinook belt (Lethbridge-Pincher Creek region) with sustained winds in excess of 60 km/h in Lethbridge, Fort Macleod, and Barnwell.
Wind gusts to 100 km/h are possible throughout the early afternoon across southern Alberta.
A razor sharp cold front will sag south, with temperatures to the south staying in the teens and those in the north will fall below freezing.
The frontal squall will be the focus for whiteout conditions and the heaviest snowfall.
Sunday evening, bursts of heavy snow will likely occur, and there will likely be a swath of it extending east to Saskatchewan along the sharp cold front.
Highways 1, 2, 3, and 22 near and south of Calgary are forecast to have the worst conditions.
The location of the heaviest snow will vary along the front, conditional on the placement and lift generated by the extreme temperature boundary.
Exact snowfall amounts remain low-moderate confidence as this setup is a smaller-scale boundary where small shifts will result in big swings in snowfall amounts over a short area.
High confidence for a rapid temperature drop throughout Tuesday, dropping by more than 15°C in just several hours for southern Alberta.
The snow will continue into Monday, but becomes more localized across the province.
Sunday travellers should be cautious about strong winds, especially with light trailers. Snow could cause travel disruptions Sunday afternoon into Monday.
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