214  
FOCN45 CWWG 281900  
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM  
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT FRIDAY MARCH  
28 2025.  
 
ALERTS IN EFFECT...SNOWFALL WARNINGS FOR PORTIONS OF ALBERTA,  
SASKATCHEWAN, AND MANITOBA. FREEZING DRIZZLE ADVISORY FOR PORTIONS OF  
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN.  
 
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, AN UPPER LOW SITS OFF THE COAST OF  
VANCOUVER ISLAND WHILE AN UPPER HIGH SITS OVER THE NORTHERN BRITISH  
COLUMBIA COASTLINE WITH RIDGING NORTH THROUGH YUKON. FURTHER EAST,  
MUCH OF THE EASTERN CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARCTIC IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE  
OF THE CYCLONIC FLOW OF A LARGE VORTEX CENTRED WEST OF SOUTHAMPTON  
ISLAND. THIS VORTEX HAS A COUPLE OF NOTABLE SHORTWAVES ROTATING  
THROUGH IT, ONE OVER THE UNGAVA PENINSULA OF QUEBEC AND ANOTHER  
DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE NUNAVUT MAINLAND OF NOTE. THE POLAR JET  
DROPS SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES AND CURLS EAST WHILE THE  
PACIFIC JET ENTERS NORTH AMERICAN SOUTH OF THE VANCOUVER ISLAND UPPER  
LOW, LIFTS TO THE 49TH PARALLEL, THEN RUNS EAST-SOUTHEAST PARALLEL TO  
THE POLAR JET ACROSS ONTARIO. A LONG-WAVE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE  
UNGAVA SHORTWAVE SOUTHEAST OVER THE MARITIMES.  
 
AT THE SURFACE, A 1043 MB HIGH SITS OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN WITH A  
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SOUTHEAST TO GREAT SLAVE LAKE THAT THEN CURLS  
EASTWARDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES INTO NW ONTARIO. EAST OF THIS,  
A 1008 MB LOW SITS NEAR UNGAVA BAY WITH A WARM FRONT SOUTHEAST AND A  
COLD FRONT THAT ARCS SOUTH THROUGH QUEBEC THEN CURLS WEST ACROSS NW  
ONTARIO AND ALONG THE 49TH PARALLEL. THIS FRONT THEN RUNS UP THE  
ALBERTA ROCKIES BEFORE CURLING NORTH THROUGH YUKON. SOUTH OF THIS, A  
997 MB LOW SITS OVER EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WITH A COLD FRONT DRAPED  
BACK SOUTHWEST AND A WARM FRONT EAST-SOUTHEAST.  
 
DISCUSSION...  
 
AB...SLOWLY BUT SURELY SNOW IS WINDING DOWN ALONG A DEFORMATION ZONE  
CENTRED RIGHT OVER EDMONTON, BUT SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IS STILL  
CONTINUING AT ISSUE TIME OVER THE CITY. SNOW LIQUID WATER RATIOS  
WHICH APPEAR TO BE VERY HIGH AND ADDITIONAL PULSES OF MOISTURE  
FEEDING IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.  
 
STORM TOTALS HAVE REACHED 33 CENTIMETRES AT WABUMUN AND SPRUCE GROVE  
AND 30 CENTIMETRES AT OUR OFFICE IN EDMONTON. AT THIS POINT WE'RE  
WAITING FOR SNOWFALL RATES TO DROP BEFORE FINALLY ENDING OUR  
WARNINGS, PROBABLY SOMETIME THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERAL STATIONS STILL  
REPORT VISIBILITY OF 1 TO 2 STATUTE MILES WHICH WOULD TRANSLATE TO  
1/2 TO 1 CENTIMETRE PER HOUR OR SO, AND RADAR ECHOES ARE STILL FAIRLY  
STRONG OVER TOP OF THE CITY, SO ENDING THE WARNING IS STILL NOT  
WARRANTED IN SOME PLACES. BY TONIGHT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT LIGHTER  
SNOWFALL RATES AS THE FLOW OF MOISTURE CUTS OFF AND BY SATURDAY  
MOSTLY SCATTERED FLURRIES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE  
PROVINCE.  
 
OVER THE SOUTH, WE SEE A MIX OF CONVECTIVE FLURRIES AND POCKETS OF  
STRATUS AND PERHAPS OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING FREEZING FOG AND  
FREEZING DRIZZLE. A SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL  
CONTRIBUTE TO SCATTERED HEAVY FLURRIES.  
 
SK/MB...SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHERN MANITOBA TODAY, SUPPORTED  
BY TWO PRIMARY FEATURES OVER THE REGION. THE FIRST IS THE BROAD BAND  
OF SNOW SUPPORTED BY ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED  
SOUTH OF THE BORDER. LOW-LEVEL WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT TODAY AND  
ISENTROPIC SUPPORT OVER THE REGION WILL WEAKEN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES.  
THIS WILL RESULT IN THE HEAVY SNOW BAND WEAKENING ACROSS THE REGION  
THROUGH THE DAY. SNOWFALL WARNINGS WILL BE ENDED AS THE BAND  
DISSIPATES.  
 
THE SECOND AREA OF SNOW WILL BE CONVECTIVE SNOW SHOWERS RIDING ALONG  
THE UPPER JET ACROSS SE SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA.  
ACCUMULATIONS FROM THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED.  
 
ELSEWHERE, MUCH OF THE REGION WILL REMAIN UNDER A DECK OF STRATUS.  
LIGHT SNOW, FREEZING DRIZZLE, OR A MIX OF THE TWO WILL CONTINUE  
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS IN SASKATCHEWAN. OBS AND ICE BUILD-UP ON  
WEBCAMS PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF A FREEZING DRIZZLE ADVISORY EARLIER  
THIS MORNING FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE PROVINCE.  
 
THIS ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT INTO THE AFTERNOON AND MAY BE  
EXPANDED TO PORTIONS OF WESTERN MANITOBA AS DEEMED NECESSARY.  
ADDITIONAL COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL CHANGE THE FZDZ OVER TO SNOW  
FRIDAY NIGHT.  
 
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY HEADING INTO THE AFTERNOON.  
 
OTHERWISE, PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL TAPER OFF ACROSS THE REGION  
TODAY. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION THIS  
WEEKEND BRINGING COOL TEMPERATURES AND QUIETER WEATHER.  
 
ARCTIC...AS THE UNGAVA LOW CONTINUES TO DRIFT NORTH, IT WILL SPREAD  
LIGHT SNOW INTO SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND TONIGHT. PERIODS OF LIGHT SNOW  
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY THEN TAPER OFF ON SUNDAY AS THE LOW  
BEGINS TO DISSIPATE.  
 
END/DYKES/VROLIJK/BATE  
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
The Nexlab CANADA Page
Main Text Page