FOCN45 CWWG 232000
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CST THURSDAY
JANUARY 23 2025.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...BLIZZARD WARNING FOR CLYDE RIVER. WINTER STORM
WATCH FOR SOUTHERN KIVALLIQ REGION. WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF ALBERTA.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, A LONGWAVE UPPER TROUGH EXTENDS FROM DAVIS
STRAIT SOUTHWEST THROUGH QUEBEC AND ONTARIO AND INTO THE GREAT LAKES
REGION. A SECOND UPPER TROUGH EXTENDS FROM NORTHEAST OF GREAT SLAVE
LAKE SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTRAL BC AND INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. UPPER
RIDGING RESIDES BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES THAT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL
NUNAVUT SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE PRAIRIE PROVINCES, AND INTO THE US
SOUTHWEST. UPPER TROUGH OVER WESTERN ALASKA.

AT THE SURFACE, AN INTENSE BUT WEAKENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS
NEARLY STALLED OFF THE COAST OF THE CUMBERLAND PENINSULA. OVER THE
EASTERN PRAIRIES, WEAK RIDGING EXTENDS FROM THE KIVALLIQ COAST
SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EASTERN PRAIRIES INTO THE DAKOTAS. A TROUGH
EXTENDS FROM A 992 MB LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHWESTERN
MAINLAND NUNAVUT SOUTHWARD ALONG THE AB/SK BORDER. FINALLY, A 1041
MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTRE SITS OVER THE NE PACIFIC.

DISCUSSION...

PRAIRIES...AN UPPER FRONTAL WAVE IS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS
ALBERTA. MODERATE SNOWFALL ALONG THE WARM FRONT WILL BRING UP TO 5
CM TO PORTIONS OF NORTHERN SK TODAY. ZONAL FLOW OVER THE ROCKIES IS
LEADING TO SUBSINDENCE AND A LESS ACTIVE COLD FRONT. SPOTTY, MIXED
PHASE PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY ALONG THE
FRONT. IN THE WARM SECTOR, STRONG WESTERLY WINDS GUSTING TO 105 KM/H
WERE REPORTED AT PINCHER CREEK THIS MORNING. THESE WINDS WILL WEAKEN
THOUGH THE DAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY
AND THE WINDS ALOFT WILL VEER TO THE NW RE-INVIGORATING THE COLD
FRONT. GUSTY WINDS, CONVECTIVE FLURRIES AND LOCALLY POOR VISIBILITY
IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 1 THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. COLD AIR ADVECTION ALOFT WILL DESTABILIZE THE
ENVIRONMENT ENOUGH THAT A COUPLE LIGHTNING FLASHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE FLURRIES.

A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE NUNAVUT LOW WILL BRING AN AREA
OF SNOW TO THE PRAIRIES THURSDAY. PORTIONS OF MANITOBA AND
SASKATCHEWAN CAN EXPECT TO SEE 2 TO 5 CM OF SNOW BY FRIDAY EVENING.
BLOWING SNOW WILL ONCE AGAIN BE AN ISSUE ACROSS SOUTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA AS STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS
GUSTING UP TO 70 KM/H DEVELOP BEHIND THE TROUGH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY
NIGHT, RESPECTIVELY. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING SNOW IN
EAST-CENTRAL AB AS WELL, BUT NOT EXPECTING MUCH FALLING SNOW. THE
WARM TEMPS WILL MAKE ANYTHING ON THE GROUND BE TOO CRUSTY, SO
WIDESPREAD REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY DON'T LOOK LIKELY AT THIS TIME.

ARCTIC...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUE AT CLYDE RIVER TODAY AS THE LOW
CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MEANDER NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE DAVIS STRAIT.
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 70 KM/H WITH GUSTS UP TO 90 KM/H,
CONCURRENT WITH FALLING SNOW WILL BRING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE
COMMUNITY UNTIL AT LEAST THURSDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL STAY RELATIVELY
STRONG AT CLYDE RIVER THROUGHOUT THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY, SO
BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE THROUGH THE FORECAST
PERIOD.

THE NEXT SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE EASTERN ARCTIC ARRIVES FRIDAY. AS THE
UPPER RIDGE MOVES THROUGH BRINGING SLIGHT WARMING, ANOTHER WEAK LOW
DEVELOPS IN ITS WAKE AND BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON IS SITTING IN HUDSON BAY
WITH STRONG, COLD NORTHERLIES OVER KIVALLIQ ONCE MORE. WINTER
STORM WATCHES HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN KIVALLIQ IN
ANTICIPATION OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS BEGINNING FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 50G70 KM/H RANGE, BUT THE DURATION
WILL BE IN QUESTION AS THE GRADIENT MIGHT NOT BE IN PLACE LONG ENOUGH
WITH THE QUICK PASSAGE OF THE LOW. A COUPLE OF CENTIMETRES OF FRESH
SNOW PRECEDING THE LOW PASSAGE AND TEMPERATURES PLUMMETING FROM
-15 DOWN TO THE -30S BY SATURDAY MORNING WILL BOTH BE STRONGLY
FAVOURABLE, HOWEVER. SIMILAR CONDITIONS WITH A SIMILAR QUESTION MARK
RE: DURATION FOR POSSIBLE BLZD CONDITIONS BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT IN
THE CHURCHILL REGION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOR THIS AREA IS
ONGOING, WITH POSSIBLE BLZD WARNINGS TO COME, IF DEEMED NECESSARY.

EASTERLY WINDS NORTH OF THE NUNAVUT LOW ARE BRINGING BLOWING SNOW
AND POOR VISIBILITY TO CAMBRIDGE BAY TODAY.

GRISE FIORD MAY SEE SOME STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS STARTING TONIGHT AS
A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF STRONG WINDS DEVELOPS THROUGH KANE BASIN
THROUGH FRIDAY. HOWEVER, IT'S A TRICKY SET UP WITH LOW CONFIDENCE
FOR THE COMMUNITY.

STRONG LOW DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTH ALASKAN COAST WILL BEAR
WATCHING FOR THE MACKENZIE DELTA AND ARCTIC COAST AREAS OF THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES STARTING ON FRIDAY. CURRENTLY THE SYSTEM IS
FORECAST TO STAY TO THE WEST, OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN UNTIL
MID-WEEKEND WHEN IT MIGHT START TO AFFECT BANKS ISLAND. SHORTER
TERM, ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, SOME SIGNIFICANT WINDS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS
THE RICHARDSON MOUNTAINS WHICH WOULD IMPACT TRAVEL ALONG THE
DEMPSTER HIGHWAY WEST OF FORT MCPHERSON.

THE METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE OF CANADA IS INVESTIGATING THE
DISCONTINUATION OF THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION. IF YOU USE
THIS BULLETIN AND HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT
FOCN45@EC.GC.CA WITH THE SUBJECT: "SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION
FEEDBACK" INCLUDE YOUR ORGANIZATION AND HOW YOU USE THIS PRODUCT.

END/DYKES/PATTEN