224
FOCN45 CWWG 212000
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CST SATURDAY
FEBRUARY 21 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...COLD WARNINGS FROM NORTHEASTERN ALBERTA THRU
NORTHERN MANITOBA AND MANY PARTS OF THE NWT AND ARCTIC. BLIZZARD
WARNINGS FOR MOST OF THE KITIKMEOT, KIVALLIQ, AND MELVILLE PENINSULA.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...POLAR VORTEX IS IN PLACE OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC.
UPPER LOWS OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO; ANOTHER
OVER LABRADOR. UPPER RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE PACIFIC NW US ACROSS
WESTERN ALBERTA.
AT THE SURFACE, A 1015 MB LOW SITS OVER NORTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND WITH A
COLD FRONT THAT DROPS SOUTH-SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE KIVALLIQ. THE REST
OF THE REGION IS DOMINATED BY HIGH PRESSURE: 1061 MB HIGH NEAR GREAT
BEAR LAKE AND 1036 MB HIGH OVER NORTHERN QUEBEC. LASTLY, A 1003 MB
LOW SITS OVER SOUTHERN MICHIGAN WITH AN INVERTED TROUGH THAT EXTENDS
NORTHWEST INTO SOUTHERN MANITOBA.
DISCUSSION...
AB...CLOUD MOVED INTO NORTHERN ALBERTA LAST NIGHT BUT SOME SITES IN
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS WERE BELOW -30C THIS MORNING, LUCKILY
WITHOUT WIND. THIS CLOUD SHOULD CLEAR IN THE FAR NE TONIGHT ALLOWING
TEMPERATURES TO PLUNGE WITH WIND CHILLS NEAR -40. FOG PATCHES ALSO
DEVELOPED IN AREAS WHERE RADIATIONAL COOLING WAS MOST PRONOUNCED, AND
THIS MAY BE THE CASE AGAIN TONIGHT IN PARTS OF THE PROVINCE.
NEXT SYSTEM FOR AB ARRIVES SUNDAY NIGHT, POTENTIALLY BRINGING UP TO
10 CM OF SNOW IN NWRN SECTIONS OF THE PROVINCE BY MONDAY MORNING.
SK/MB...A NEW WAVE OF MOISTURE WILL LIFT NORTHWEST THROUGH ONTARIO
AND INTO NORTHERN MANITOBA, BRINGING MORE SNOW FOR THE WEEKEND.
MANY AREAS IN NORTHERN MANITOBA WILL SEE A FURTHER 2 TO 4 CM BY THE
END OF SATURDAY, BUT THE HEAVIEST BAND, WHICH CURRENTLY LOOKS TO RUN
FROM ISLAND LAKE TO THOMPSON, COULD PRODUCE AS MUCH AS 5 TO 10 CM.
COLD TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO SLUMP INTO THE CENTRAL PRAIRIES WHILE
THE INVERTED TROUGH MAINTAINS AN INTRUSION OF WARMER TEMPERATURES IN
SOUTHERN MANITOBA. AS A RESULT, SPORADIC WIND CHILLS BELOW -40
REMAINED THIS MORNING UNDER THE ARCTIC RIDGE IN SOUTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN. WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE PATTERN THIS WEEK, EXPECT THE
ABATEMENT OF SEVERE WIND CHILLS DURING THE DAY, THEN REDEVELOPMENT
AGAIN FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN TONIGHT. EXPECT COLD
WARNINGS TO BE ISSUED FOR PARTS OF NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND
ADDITIONS IN NORTHERN MANITOBA TONIGHT AS THE NT HIGH MOVES TO THE
SOUTHEAST.
ARCTIC...COLD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR MANY SITES IN THE ARCTIC.
THE NORTHERN BAFFIN LOW, COUPLED WITH A STRENGTHENING PRESSURE
GRADIENT FROM THE ADVANCING ARCTIC HIGH TO THE WEST, IS CREATING
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN KITIKMEOT, KIVALLIQ, AND
MELVILLE PENINSULA. MOREOVER, A FRIGID AIRMASS CONTINUES TO PUSH
SOUTHWARD BEHIND THIS SYSTEM, LEADING TO A RESURGENCE OF COLD
WARNINGS DUE TO DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILLS. THESE WIND CHILLS COULD
POTENTIALLY DROP INTO THE MID- MINUS 60S, NECESSITATING AN EXPANSION
OF COLD WARNINGS TO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT BAFFIN ISLAND
AND KIVALLIQ.
IN THE NWT, COLD WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER NIGHT FOR CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN SITES. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AT PAULATUK BY
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS COULD ALSO EXCEED 90 KM/H THERE TONIGHT
BUT THE SETUP DOESN'T LOOK QUITE AS STRONG AS THE EVENT THIS PAST
WEEK. IN ANY CASE, A WIND WARNING FOR 70G90 IS FORTHCOMING THIS
AFTERNOON.
TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO IMPROVE IN THE SOUTHERN ARCTIC AND
NORTHERN MANITOBA EARLY NEXT WEEK, BUT THE BITTER COLD WILL STAY
ENTRENCHED OVER MANY ARCTIC AREAS WELL INTO THE WEEK.
END/CARLSEN/KOKOLSKY/ROMBOUGH/VAN LOCHEM
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