907
FOCN45 CWWG 311300
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CST SATURDAY
JANUARY 31 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...FREEZING RAIN WARNINGS FOR PARTS OF SASKATCHEWAN.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT TODAY, AN UPPER RIDGE EXTENDS FROM AN UPPER
HIGH CENTERED OVER CALIFORNIA NORTH INTO B.C. AND YUKON TERRITORY.
A SECONDARY RIDGE EXTENDS NORTHEAST FROM THE CALIFORNIA UPPER HIGH
THROUGH THE EASTERN PRAIRIES, THEN EAST OVER NORTHERN ONTARIO AND
QUEBEC. A SLACK FLOW SITS OVER THE WESTERN ARCTIC, AN UPPER TROUGH
EXTENDS FROM ALERT TO NORTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND AND THEN SOUTHWEST TO A
POTENT SHORTWAVE NEAR THE NWT/NU SOUTHERN BORDER.
AT THE SURFACE, A 983 MB LOW SITS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC WITH A NEW
1008 MB LOW ALBERTA CLIPPER CENTERED IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN WITH
WARM FRONT DROPPING SOUTHWARD AND A COLD FRONT DRAPED WESTWARD
THROUGH CENTRAL ALBERTA. A 1010 MB LOW SITS IN WESTERN HUDSON BAY
JUST OFF THE COAST FROM ARVIAT WITH A WARM FRONT SOUTHWARD THAT DIPS
BACK THROUGH MANITOBA AND A COLD FRONT WESTWARD SKIRTING JUST NORTH
OF THE 60TH PARALLEL. A 1046 MB HIGH SITS OVER NEBRASKA WITH RIDGING
NORTHWARD INTO NW ONTARIO, JAMES BAY AND NORTHERN QUEBEC. A RIDGE
ALSO EXTENDS FROM THE ARCTIC OCEAN SOUTHEASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN
ARCTIC ARCHEPELEGO TO A 1035 MB HIGH CENTERED NEAR KUGLUKTUK. A 1015
MB LOW SITS NEAR TUKTOYAKTUK.
DISCUSSION...
AB/NT/NORTHERN SK...WIDESPREAD FZRA FROM LAST NIGHT HAS TRANSITIONED
OVER TO MAINLY SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF NE AB THIS MORNING. THIS SNOW
WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO SK TODAY BRINGING UP TO 5 CM OF SNOWFALL
THROUGH THE DAY. LATEST NWP GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TRENDING SLIGHTLY
DOWNWARD IN TERMS OF ACCUMULATIONS, THUS HAVE 2-4 CM IN THE FCST.
BEHIND THIS DEPARTING FRONTAL WAVE, THERE WILL ALSO BE GUSTY NW WINDS
IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. GUSTS OF 60-70 KM/H ARE ANTICIPATED SE
OF EDMONTON, FANNING OUT TOWARDS THE LLOYDMINSTER TO MEDICINE HAT
CORRIDOR BY AFTERNOON. GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO CONTINUE IN EXTREME SW
AB TODAY, ALBEIT IN A WEAKER FASHION THAN LAST NIGHT. ALL WINDS WILL
DIMINISH BY THIS EVENING.
NEXT DISTURBANCE ARRIVES SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO MONDAY WITH
POTENTIALLY SIMILAR EVOLUTION TO LAST NIGHT'S SYSTEM. FZRA AND
ACCUMULATING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF AB, ALTHOUGH THE EXACT
TRACK AND MAGNITUDE ARE UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. MORE TO FOLLOW.
SOUTHERN SK/MB...AS THE ALBERTA CLIPPER QUICKLY MOVES THROUGH
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN TODAY AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA TONIGHT, IT WILL
BRING A MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION AND INTERESTING WEATHER. A SHARP
FREEZING LINE ALONG ITS FRONTS THIS MORNING IS BRINGING AN AREA OF
FREEZING RAIN MOSTLY CONCENTRATED ALONG ITS WARM FRONT FROM MOOSEJAW/
REGINA AREA SOUTHWARDS TO THE AMERICAN BORDER WITH THE RISK ALSO
EXTENDING EASTWARD TO THE MANITOBA BORDER. OVERNIGHT AND EARLY THIS
MORNING ANOTHER PATCHY AREA OF FREEZING RAIN IS ALSO OCCURRING IN AN
AREA SURROUNDING SASKATOON. THIS THREAT WILL END LATER THIS MORNING
AS TEMPERATURES WARM ABOVE ZERO WEST OF THE FRONT AND COLD AIR
INFUSION COMES IN ALONG THE COLD FRONT. 24 HOUR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
OVER SASKATCHEWAN WILL BE MOSTLY 2 TO 5 CM.
SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO MANITOBA THIS MORNING AND TAPER OFF
OVERNIGHT WITH ACCUMULATIONS BEING NEAR 2 TO 4 CM FOR THE SOUTH AND 4
TO 8 CM IN CENTRAL REGIONS. BLOWING SNOW MAY BE A CONCERN IN
MANITOBA'S RED RIVER VALLEY TODAY AS WELL AS MODERATE TO STRONG
SOUTHERLY WINDS DEVELOP AS THE CLIPPER ADVANCES TOWARDS THE REGION.
PROG SOUNDINGS SHOW VERY DRY LOW LEVELS WHICH ALIGN WITH UPSTREAM
OBSERVATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS, WHICH WILL LIKELY LIMIT ANY BLOWING
SNOW POTENTIAL FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. BY THE AFTERNOON, SNOW WILL BEGIN
TO MOVE INTO THE REGION AND WITH THE SATURATION OF THE COLUMN AND
CONTINUED STRONG WINDS, SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL LIKELY BE COMMON
THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY UNTIL THE WINDS EASE IN THE EVENING.
IN THE NORTH, THE SNOW WILL BE PERSISTENT BUT LIGHTER AS IT DEVELOPS
DEEPER INTO THE COLD AIR. ACCUMULATIONS WILL VARY, BUT IN GENERAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 CM SHOULD BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE NORTHERN
PORTIONS OF MANITOBA WITH AMOUNTS INCREASING INTO THE 5 TO 10 CM
RANGE AS IT TRACKS INTO THE CHURCHILL, GILLAM, AND SHAMATTAWA AREAS.
KIVALLIQ...LIGHT SNOW FROM THE HUDSON BAY LOW WILL LINGER TODAY OVER
ARVIAT AND WHALE COVE. MODERATE TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL
DEVELOP OVER THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 KM/H OVER
ARVIAT. THIS COMBINED WITH THE FALLING SNOW WILL BRING REDUCED
VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW BUT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED
TO BE MET.
BAFFIN ISLAND...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED IN THE SHORT TERM.
END/LUZNY/VAN LOCHEM
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