646
FOCN45 CWWG 131900
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT FRIDAY MARCH
13 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...COLD WARNINGS FOR SOME COMMUNITIES IN NUNAVUT AND
NORTHERN ALBERTA.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...
ALOFT, AN UPPER LOW-PRESSURE COMPLEX DOMINATES THE EASTERN ARCTIC,
WITH CENTRES NEAR REPULSE BAY AND ARCTIC BAY. A TROUGH EXTENDS
WESTWARD FROM THIS SYSTEM TOWARD THE GULF OF ALASKA. NORTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT SPANS FROM SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA THROUGH SOUTHERN ALBERTA,
ACROSS THE NORTHERN UNITED STATES, AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION,
WHERE A SECOND UPPER LOW SITS OVER LAKE SUPERIOR. UPPER RIDGING
BUILDS TO THE EAST OF THIS LOW, WHILE A BROAD TROUGH STRETCHES ACROSS
EASTERN CANADA.
AT THE SURFACE, A 1033 MB HIGH IS CENTRED OVER THE YUKON, WITH
RIDGING EXTENDING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES, THROUGH
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA, INTO THE NORTH-CENTRAL
UNITED STATES. A 990 MB LOW IS POSITIONED OVER THE GREAT LAKES.
A 1021 MB HIGH IS LOCATED OVER NORTHERN QUEBEC, WITH A 1009 MB LOW
OVER SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND.
DISCUSSION...
ALBERTA/NRN SK...STRATUS OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA BROUGHT SOME REDUCED
VISIBILITIES IN BOTH FOG AND SNOW TO SOME COMMUNITIES THIS MORNING.
OTHERWISE A FAIRLY CLEAR AND COOL DAY FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN
PRAIRIES.
TONIGHT, A SHORTWAVE MOVING INTO WEST-CENTRAL ALBERTA WILL BRING SOME
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS TO THE REGION. UPWARDS OF 5CM IS EXPECTED.
IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA, RDPS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN SUGGESTING
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS FOR REGIONS ALONG THE AMERICAN BORDER.
HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE THE GUIDANCE HAS NOT MATCHED WITH REALITY.
SNOW IS FALLING SOUTH OF THE BORDER ONLY, LEADING TO SOME DRASTIC
CHANGES IN THE FORECASTS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH
THE HRDPS IS THE ONLY GUIDANCE WITH APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT OF THE
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER AT THIS TIME.
HOWEVER, A SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP TOMORROW, AND WILL LIKELY BRING SOME
SNOW TO THOSE REGIONS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA, WITH ROUGHLY 5-10CM
EXPECTED.
IN THE NORTH, A COLD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE HIGH LEVEL REGION,
AND MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO OTHER AREAS OF NORTHERN ALBERTA AND
SASKATCHEWAN THIS AFTERNOON.
SOUTHERN SK/MB...THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT BROUGHT ACCUMULATING
SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES YESTERDAY HAS MOVED OUT
OF THE REGION. A TRAILING SHORTWAVE IS NOW DELIVERING LIGHT SNOW
ACROSS CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN, THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE
MINIMAL.
LOOKING AHEAD, A NEW LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE
NORTHERN US, BRINGING SNOW TO EXTREME SOUTHERN SK AND SW MB. AT THIS
TIME, IT LOOKS TO BE SUB-WARNING ACCUMULATIONS.
NUNAVUT...THE LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND IS CREATING
A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER OVER THE KIVALLIQ. THIS CONTINUES TO
PRODUCE OCCASIONAL GUSTY WINDS, LIGHT BLOWING SNOW, AND WIND CHILL
VALUES DOWN TO MINUS 55 IN SOME COMMUNITIES. THERE LOOKS TO BE
MARGINAL COLD WARNINGS AGAIN TONIGHT, SO WARNINGS WILL LIKELY REMAIN
UNTIL TOMORROW WHEN THE TEMPERATURES MODERATE.
THIS LOW WILL DRIFT TOWARD SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND, BRINGING LIGHT
SNOW BEFORE DISSIPATING. ELSEWHERE, CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN QUIET,
THOUGH A FEW COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERIENCING VERY COLD WIND CHILLS
DROPPING TO MINUS 50 OR COLDER.
NWT...NIL SIG WX.
END/CARLSEN/GRIFFITH
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page