102
FOCN45 CWWG 051200
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CDT SUNDAY APRIL
5 2026.
ALERTS IN EFFECT...BLIZZARD WARNING FOR GJOA HAVEN.
SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, DEEP UPPER LOWS OVER WESTERN ALASKA AND
THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES WITH A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER WESTERN
CANADA. STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER CENTRAL SK/MB. UPPER HIGH OVER
THE BEAUFORT SEA AND UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND. NORTHERLY
FLOW OVER THE NORTHERN ARCTIC.
AT THE SURFACE, THERE ARE A SERIES OF WEAK LOWS FROM THE GULF OF
ALASKA TO NORTHERN ALBERTA, AND CENTRAL MANITOBA. A 1008 MB LOW SITS
IN SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WITH AN INVERTED TROUGH STRETCHING INTO
SOUTHWESTERN MANITOBA. TWO 1040 MB HIGHS SIT OVER THE NORTHERN NT AND
NORTHERN QUEBEC WITH A RIDGE BETWEEN THEM.
DISCUSSION...
WESTERN PRAIRIES...A RIDGE BUILDING FROM THE ARCTIC WILL GENERATE
RELATIVELY CLEAR SKIES OVER THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES, AS WELL AS A
PERSISTENT EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS SOUTHERN ALBERTA. THIS EASTERLY FLOW,
COMBINED WITH A NW-SE H5 JET, HAS SET UP THE PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR A
PERSISTENT AREA OF PRECIPITATION EXTENDING FROM THE ALBERTA ELBOW
SOUTHEASTWARDS TO THE SK BORDER. PRECIPITATION WILL BE MIXED SOUTH
AND EAST OF CALGARY, WHEREAS CALGARY ITSELF, AND AREAS JUST NORTH AND
WEST OF THE CITY WILL SEE SNOW. LOCALIZED 2CM ARE FORECAST,
PARTICULARLY IN THE UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG THE ROCKIES. TONIGHT, PERIODS
OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTH, ALONG WITH A RISK OF FREEZING
DRIZZLE.
EASTERN PRAIRIES...THE TROUGH OVER SOUTHERN MANITOBA FROM THE
DISSIPATING LOW THAT TRAVERSED THROUGH THE CENTRAL PRAIRIES WILL
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AN AREA OF INTERMITTENT PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE
DAY. THIS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW BEGINNING IN THE
MORNING, WITH SOME FREEZING RAIN RISKS PRIMARILY IN THE RED RIVER
VALLEY, AND TRANSITIONING TO A MIXED PRECIPITATION OR SHOWER REGIME
THROUGH THE LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON. THIS FREEZING RAIN RISK
IS ALONG THE FRONTOLYTIC COLD FRONT AND WILL NOT BE SELF SUSTAINING.
WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE NEEDING TO ISSUE ANY WARNINGS, AND WILL JUST
LEAVE THE RISK TO THE FORECASTS. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BEHIND.
LOOKING AHEAD, AN ALBERTA CLIPPER WILL DEVELOP MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY OVER ALBERTA AND QUICKLY TRAVEL EASTWARDS THROUGH THE
SOUTHERN PRAIRIES THROUGH MIDWEEK. ITS TOO EARLY TO GIVE A DEFINITIVE
FORECAST, BUT IT LOOKS AS IF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL MAY BE A CONCERN
FOR A FAIR BIT OF CENTRAL ALBERTA, AS WELL AS SOUTHERN SK AND MB.
SIGH.
WESTERN ARCTIC...EMBEDDED WITHIN THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE
ARCTIC, A TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE EASTERN KITIKMEOT THIS MORNING
GENERATING SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW THROUGH MOST OF THE REGION.
A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GJOA HAVEN, AS ITS
ANTICIPATED THAT VISIBILITIES WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE LATER THIS
MORNING AND REMAIN POOR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. IMPROVEMENT IS
EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS WINDS WEAKEN AND THE SYSTEM MOVES OUT OF THE
AREA. BLOWING SNOW IS POSSIBLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST
ARCHIPELAGO AS WELL.
EASTERN ARCTIC...A STRENGTHENING GRADIENT OVER THE KIVALLIQ TODAY
WILL BRING NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 40 KM/H GUSTING TO 60 KM/H AND
BLOWING SNOW BUT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
END/CARLSEN/PIMISKERN
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