609
FOCN45 CWWG 301300
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CST FRIDAY JANUARY
30 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...FREEZING RAIN WARNING FOR PEACE RIVER AND GRANDE
PRAIRIE.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...
ALOFT, A WELL-ESTABLISHED UPPER RIDGE PERSISTS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS
INTO WESTERN CANADA, WHILE A PROMINENT POLAR VORTEX SITS OVER EASTERN
CANADA WITH DOWNSTREAM TROUGHING INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CONUS.
EMBEDDED IN THE WESTERN RIDGE, A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND VORT MAX ARE
MOVING INTO NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA - THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR
SYSTEMS EXPECTED TO AFFECT PARTS OF THE PRAIRIES TODAY THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. A SEPARATE UPPER TROUGH EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN GREENLAND
ACROSS NORTHERN BAFFIN AND WESTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL ARCTIC.
AT THE SURFACE, A 994 MB LOW IS LOCATED OFF THE NORTHERN BC COAST
WITH LEE TROUGHING ALONG THE FOOTHILLS IN WESTERN ALBERTA. A 1019 MB
LOW IS NEAR GREAT SLAVE LAKE WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING SOUTH
THROUGH CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN AND A COLD FRONT BACK WEST THEN NORTH
THROUGH THE NWT AND YUKON. A FRONTAL WAVE FARTHER SOUTH WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPING CENTRAL-PRAIRIES SYSTEM. A 1049 MB
HIGH COVERS SOUTHEASTERN MANITOBA INTO NORTHWEST ONTARIO WITH RIDGING
SOUTHWARD THROUGH MINNESOTA INTO THE CENTRAL CONUS AND NORTHWARD
INTO CENTRAL HUDSON BAY. A 982 MB LOW IS NEAR THE LABRADOR COAST WITH
TROUGHING THROUGH DAVIS STRAIT.
DISCUSSION...
AB/NT/NORTHERN SK...WEAK LOW AND WARM FRONT CONTINUES EASTWARD
THROUGH NORTHERN SK WITH UP TO 5 CM OF SNOW EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHEND
REGION TODAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THOUGH NORTHERN ALBERTA AND
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT, GIVING SOME
LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION.
POOR AIR QUALITY DEVELOPED IN THE EDMONTON AREA OVERNIGHT.
CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED EARLY THIS MORNING, BUT POOR AIR QUALITY IS
ALSO POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT, INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS A LOW
LEVEL INVERSION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE ABLE TO TRAP POLLUTANTS.
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE WORST IN THE EVENING UNTIL THE
PRECIPITATION MOVES IN NEAR MIDNIGHT, WHICH SHOULD CLEAR OUT THE
POLLUTANT LEVELS IN THE AREA.
THE NEXT SYSTEM, CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL BC, WILL MOVE INTO ALBERTA
TODAY, WITH THE LEE LOW DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON. FREEZING RAIN
WILL BEGIN IN THE PEACE COUNTRY, AND SPREADING EASTWARD DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. POTENTIAL FOR SOME HEAVY FLURRIES FARTHER
NORTH WITH 5-10 CM IN FORT LIARD. FREEZING RAIN WARNINGS ARE
CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE GRANDE PRAIRIE AND PEACE RIVER REGIONS
AND WILL LIKELY BE EXPANDED TO THE SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS THE SYSTEM PROGRESSES. NEWEST GUIDANCE IS A BIT SLOWER
THAN PREVIOUS GUIDANCE AND HAS PUSHED THE FREEZING RAIN INTO THE
EDMONTON AREA, SO FURTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS. THE
FREEZING RAIN IS EXPECTED TO EXIT THE PROVINCE BY SATURDAY MORNING.
IN BEHIND THE LOW, NORTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 60KM/H ARE EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP. STRONGER WINDS OVER EASTERN ALBERTA ARE EXPECTED ON
SATURDAY WITH GUSTS TO 70 KM/H LIKELY.
OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST, WESTERLY WINDS, WITH GUSTS TO 90 KM/H
ARE EXPECTED FOR PINCHER CREEK AND CARDSTON REGIONS. WINDS SHOULD
CALM DOWN IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
SOUTHERN SK/MB...LIGHT SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE FRONTAL ZONE
THROUGH SASKATCHEWAN THIS MORNING, GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF BY EARLY
AFTERNOON. A LOW MOVING ACROSS THE KIVALLIQ REGION WILL BRING SOME
LIGHT SNOW AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS TO NORTHERN MANITOBA, ALTHOUGH
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL AND BLOWING SNOW SHOULD
REMAIN INCONSEQUENTIAL.
TONIGHT, A SYSTEM WILL FORM OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND TRACK
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PRAIRIES FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY MORNING, WHICH
WILL BRING SOME LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION AND GUSTY WINDS, LIKELY
IMPACTING TRAVEL CONDITIONS. FREEZING RAIN IS ANTICIPATED IN SOUTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING BUT SHOULD
DIMINISH BY THE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONTAL WAVE OCCLUDES AND THE WARM
AIR ALOFT DIMINISHES. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE REGION ARE EXPECTED
TO RANG E FROM 5 TO 10 CM, WITH GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS
PICKING UP ON SUNDAY AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES, USHERING IN COLDER
TEMPERATURES.
KIVALLIQ...A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS SET TO TRAVERSE THE REGION TODAY,
BRINGING LIGHT SNOWFALL AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS TO THE AREA.
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 5 TO 10 CM, WITH GREATER
AMOUNTS POSSIBLE NORTHWEST OF BAKER LAKE. WHILE BLOWING SNOW IS NOT
ANTICIPATED WITH THE SOUTHERLY WINDS, IT COULD BECOME A CONCERN ON
SATURDAY AS NORTHERLY WINDS DEVELOP WHEN THE SYSTEM MOVES TOWARD
HUDSON BAY.
BAFFIN ISLAND...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED IN THE SHORT TERM.
END/KOKOLSKY/GREENHOUGH
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