FOCN45 CWWG 201900

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM

PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT FRIDAY MARCH

20 2026.



ALERTS IN EFFECT...WIND WARNING FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWESTERN ALBERTA.

SNOWFALL WARNING FOR PARTS OF WESTERN ALBERTA. BLIZZARD WARNING FOR

THE COASTAL NWT SITES. COLD WARNING FOR TUKTOYAKTUK.



SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, A LOW COMPLEX SITS OVER THE ARCTIC WITH

TROUGHS SOUTHWARD TOWARD QUEBEC AND WESTWARD TOWARD ALASKA. A BROAD

RIDGE SITS OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CONTINENT, WITH THE CREST OF

THE RIDGE OVER BC.



THE SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A STRING OF LOWS FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA

TO ALBERTA TO CENTRAL QUEBEC. HIGH PRESSURE STRETCHES WEST TO EAST

ACROSS THE CENTRAL ARCTIC. LOW OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC.



AB/NRN SK...SNOW CONTINUES OVER WEST CENTRAL ALBERTA TODAY. UPWARDS

OF 15 CM OF SNOW IS EXPECTED BY SATURDAY MORNING FROM EDSON AND

WHITECOURT WEST TOWARDS THE BC BORDER, PARTICULARLY FOR AREAS NORTH

OF THE YELLOWHEAD HIGHWAY.



FURTHER SOUTH, HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES OVER PARTS OF THE ICEFIELDS

PARKWAY. SNOW LEVELS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN RELATIVELY HIGH TODAY,

WITH RAIN EXPECTED FOR THE COMMUNITIES OF BANFF AND JASPER AND SNOW

OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATION PASSES ALONG HIGHWAY 93. AMOUNTS OF 30 OR

MORE CM ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. THE SNOW

WILL EASE UP SOMEWHAT ON SATURDAY, BUT LOCALLY HEAVY FLURRIES ARE

LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY.



STRONG WESTERLY WINDS GUSTING TO 100 KM/H ARE EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN IN

PARTS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA TODAY BEFORE WEAKENING THIS EVENING.

TODAY WILL ALSO BE THE LAST DAY OF WARM TEMPERATURES, WITH AREAS

SOUTHEAST OF CALGARY FORECAST TO BE AROUND THE 20 DEGREE MARK THIS

AFTERNOON.



SRN SK/MB...A SERIES OF UPPER IMPULSES CONTINUE TO RIDE THE RIDGE

OVER WESTERN CANADA, BRINGING MILD BUT UNSETTLED WEATHER TO THE

PRAIRIES THIS WEEK. THIS WILL BRING MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION

OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WITH THERE BEING QUITE A BIT OF LOW-LEVEL

MOISTURE, FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FOG WILL BE A CONCERN ALONG THE

NORTHERN EDGE OF THE BAROCLINIC ZONE. THERE MAY ALSO BE PERIODS OF

FREEZING RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THESE IMPULSES, BUT THEY ARE EXPECTED

TO BE SHORT-LIVED DUE TO THE SPEED OF THESE IMPULSES.



A SYSTEM WITH A MORE NORTHERLY TRACK WILL BRING SOME SNOWFALL

ACCUMULATION TO THE NORTHEASTERN PRAIRIES. A BAND OF 5-10 CM IS

EXPECTED OVER NORTHERN MANITOBA BY FRIDAY EVENING.



THE NEXT CLIPPER BRINGS A BAND OF SNOW ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN STARTING

FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND ENTERING MANITOBA BY FRIDAY EVENING. THE AXIS OF

HIGHEST SNOWFALL IS JUST NORTH OF THE YELLOWHEAD AND NORTHERN PARTS

OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY WITH AMOUNTS GENERALLY IN THE 5-10 CM RANGE,

HOWEVER, THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE PARKLANDS REGION OF MANITOBA COULD

SEE LOCALLY 15+ CM SO A LOCALIZED SNOWFALL WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED.

A BAND OF FREEZING RAIN WILL ALSO SETUP ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF

THE SNOWFALL FROM EAST CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN TO WESTERN AND SOUTHERN

MANITOBA. THIS WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY FOR A POSSIBLE FREEZING RAIN

WARNING.



ARCTIC...A COLD AIRMASS REMAINS ENTRENCHED OVER MUCH OF THE REGION,

WITH A FEW OF COMMUNITIES NEAR EXTREME COLD WARNING CRITERIA.



SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ARE EXPECTED FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN THE NWT

TODAY AND INTO SATURDAY AS A LOW STALLS OVER THE ARCHIPELAGO.

CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY IMPROVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH STARTING THIS

EVENING, THOUGH TUKTOYAKTUK WILL LIKELY SEE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS

EXTEND INTO SATURDAY.



BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FOR THE WESTERN KITIKMEOT TODAY

AND TONIGHT ON THE FRINGES OF THIS LOW. CAMBRIDGE BAY IS EXPECTED TO

JUST CATCH THE EDGE OF THE STRONG WINDS WITH THIS SYSTEM. HOWEVER,

WITH FALLING SNOW EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE COMMUNITY TODAY, THE

COMBINATION OF SNOW AND STRONG WINDS MAY BE ENOUGH FOR A MARIGINAL

BLIZZARD. BY COMPARISON, STRONGER WINDS BUT LESS FALLING SNOW ARE

EXPECTED FOR KUGLUKTUK TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE EXISTING SNOW PACK IN

THE AREA DOES NOT LOOK ESPECIALLY CONDUCIVE FOR A BLIZZARD, NOR DOES

THE EXPECTED WIND DIRECTION. TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY REMAINS TO ISSUE

BLIZZARD WARNINGS AT THIS TIME, THOUGH THEY MAY YET BE NEEDED.



END/STAMMERS/VAN LOCHEM