903
FOCN45 CWWG 061900
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT WEDNESDAY MAY
6 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...WIND WARNINGS FOR SACHS HARBOUR, ULUKHAKTOK, AND
PANGNIRTUNG. AIR QUALITY WARNING FOR THE TOWNSITE OF JASPER.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, A LOW IS OVER THE NORTHERN COAST OF
ALASKA WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA. A RIDGE IS
OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND EXTENDS NORTHWARD THROUGH BC AND
ALBERTA AND INTO THE CENTRAL ARCTIC. A LOW IS OVER NORTHERN QUEBEC
WITH A TROUGH THROUGH TO THE US GREAT PLAINS.
AT THE SURFACE, A 999 MB LOW IS LOCATED NEAR TUKTOYAKTUK WITH A
TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES INTO
WESTERN ALBERTA. HIGH PRESSURE IS OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC WITH A
RIDGE AXIS SOUTHWARD THROUGH SASKATCHEWAN. AN OCCLUDED LOW IS OVER
NORTHERN QUEBEC. A LOW IS OVER THE LABRADOR SEA.
DISCUSSION...
WESTERN PRAIRIES...RELATIVELY QUIET START TO THE DAY TODAY. A WEAK
TROUGH IS DEVELOPING OVER WEST-CENTRAL ALBERTA, AND WILL AID IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THE ODD THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE NORTHERN
FOOTHILLS. BASES ARE QUITE HIGH IN AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED, SO
STRONG WIND GUSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONVECTIVE SHOWERS/TS ARE
POSSIBLE. SHOWERS WILL MIGRATE SOUTHEASTWARDS TONIGHT.
IN THE JASPER TOWNSITE, A CONTROLLED BURN HAS BEEN CAUSING SOME POOR
AIR QUALITY IN THE AREA. CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN POOR IN THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS AS THE SURFACE INVERSION SETS UP AND TRAPS THE SMOKE WITHIN
THE INVERSION. CONDITIONS IMPROVE DURING THE DAY AS SURFACE HEATING
ALLOWS MIXING OUT OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. AS THE BURN HAS NOW BEEN
COMPLETED, THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY IF THE POOR AIR QUALITY WILL
RETURN TONIGHT. WITH SPOT FIRES STILL AROUND THE AREA, THE AIR
QUALITY WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SMOKE EXPECTED TO CAUSE POOR
CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT.
EASTERN PRAIRIES...DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE WESTERN RIDGE WILL
ADVECT EASTWARD TODAY, REDUCING ANY LIGHT SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN
AREAS THROUGH THE DAY.
OVER NORTHERN MANITOBA, INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW EMBEDDED IN
STRATOCUMULUS IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, AS THE
NORTHERN QUEBEC LOW RETROGRADES WESTWARD. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE MINIMAL.
NT...A LOW LOCATED NORTH OF TUKTOYAKTUK IS GENERATING STRONG WINDS
AND MULTIPLE PRECIPITATION TYPES ACROSS THE NORTHERN NT. WIND
WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ULUKHAKTOK AND SACHS HARBOUR, WHERE
WINDS OF 60-70 KM/H WITH GUSTS OF 90 KM/H ARE EITHER ALREADY
OCCURRING OR EXPECTED. THESE SAME TWO COMMUNITIES ARE ALSO FORECAST
TO SEE 2-5 CM OF SNOW TODAY WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE STRONG
WINDS, WILL GENERATE REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW. NEAR
BLIZZARD CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE FORECASTS INSTEAD OF
FULL ON BLIZZARDS FOR TWO REASONS - ONE, TEMPERATURES AT EACH SITE
WILL BE CLOSE TO 0C TODAY, MAKING SNOW CONDITIONS LESS CONDUCIVE TO
BE BLOWN ABOUT IN A NORMAL-TYPICAL BLIZZARD FASHION; AND TWO,
DURATION OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES MAY BE MARGINAL. THE SITUATION WILL
BE CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY.
TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMUNITIES, RAIN IS
FORECAST.
NUNAVUT...WAVES OF LIGHT SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE
TO AFFECT SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS AS THE
NORTHERN QUEBEC LOW SHIFTS WEST TOWARD HUDSON BAY, AND THE
LABRADOR COAST LOW LIFTS NORTH TOWARD BAFFIN ISLAND. A NORTH/SOUTH
BAND OF SNOW IS MOVING WESTWARD ACROSS SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND AND
NORTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND THIS MORNING; IT WILL WEAKEN AS IT PROGRESSES
AND TOWNSITE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE MINIMAL. A SECONDARY BAND IS
EXPECTED TO REACH SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND TODAY WITH THE
LABRADOR COAST LOW. ACCUMULATIONS IN TOWNSITES SHOULD BE MINIMAL,
THOUGH HIGHER TERRAIN MAY SEE SOMEWHAT LARGER TOTALS.
WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW
COMPLEX. MOST TOWNSITES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE
THRESHOLDS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PANGNIRTUNG.
IN PANGNIRTUNG, A FAVOURABLE SETUP FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS HAS DEVELOPED
OVER THE COMMUNITY WITH A GUST TO 93 KM/H REPORTED WEDNESDAY
MORNING. STRONG EASTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 70 TO 80 KM/H WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE DAY, WITH SEVERE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 90 KM/H
EXPECTED AGAIN OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL EAST THURSDAY MORNING. A WIND
WARNING REMAINS OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
FOR IQALUIT AND KIMMIRUT EASTERLY WINDS OF 40 GUSTING TO 60 KM/H
ARE MOST LIKELY, WITH A CHANCE OF ISOLATED GUSTS IN THE 70 TO 80
KM/H RANGE THROUGH THIS MORNING.
OVER NORTHERN KIVALLIQ AND KINNGAIT, NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO
70 KM/H WILL CONTINUE TODAY. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH LIGHT FALLING
SNOW WILL LEAD TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW BUT WARMER
TEMPERATURES WILL LIMIT THE RISK OF SIGNIFICANT BLOWING SNOW.
END/KOKOLSKY/MOODIE/PIMISKERN/GREENHOUGH
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