FOCN45 CWWG 031200
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CDT THURSDAY APRIL
3 2025.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...SNOWFALL WARNINGS FOR SW ALBERTA.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, THERE IS A TROUGH FROM THE ARCTIC OCEAN
SOUTHWARD INTO SASKATCHEWAN, WITH A SHORTWAVE OVER NRN SK/MB TRACKING
ALONG THE 60TH PARALLEL. ANOTHER IMPULSE IS PROGRESSING SOUTHWARD
OVER ALBERTA. A RIDGE IS BUILDING TO THE WEST IN BEHIND OVER THE GULF
OF ALASKA. A LOW CENTRE OVER HUDSON STRAIT CONTINUES TO WIND DOWN
WITH WITH AN ASSOCIATED TROUGH SOUTHWARD THROUGH LABRADOR.

AT THE SURFACE, A 1002 MB LOW SITS AT THE SK/MB/NT/NU FOUR CORNERS,
WITH A WARM FRONT EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MANITOBA INTO SOUTHERN
HUDSON BAY AND ONTARIO, AND A COLD FRONT EXTENDING THROUGH CENTRAL MB
AND SK. HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE EASTERN ARCTIC. ANOTHER RIDGE
AXIS COVERS ALBERTA AND MUCH OF THE NWT. FURTHER SOUTH, A 989 MB LOW
SITS OVER AMERICAN MIDWEST WITH TROUGH TO THE NW INTO SRN MB.

DISCUSSION...

AB...SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER ALBERTA IS GENERATING EASTERLY FLOW ALONG
THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS; THIS COMBINED WITH AN UPPER COLD TROUGH AND VORT
CENTRE MOVING SOUTHWARD IN THE UPPER FLOW SET UP AN AREA OF HEAVY
SNOW ALONG THE FOOTHILLS LAST NIGHT. ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 10 CM WAS
OBSERVED IN THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS, BRINGING 2-DAY TOTALS OF
5 TO 15 CM. A FURTHER 5 TO 10 CM IS EXPECTED TODAY, WITH STORM TOTALS
POSSIBLY REACHING 25 CM IN SOME PLACES.

THE SNOW IS BEGINNING TO TAPER OFF FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THIS TREND
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS, WITH AREAS ALONG THE
AMERICAN BORDER BEING THE LAST TO SEE RELIEF FROM THE SNOW THIS
AFTERNOON.

THE COLD AIR ALOFT WILL ALSO HELP TO GENERATE SOME BRIEF BUT INTENSE
FLURRIES OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ALBERTA THIS AFTERNOON.
RELATIVELY ROBUST INSTABILITY WILL LIKELY LEAD TO SHORT BURSTS OF
VERY POOR VISIBILITY.

A CHANGE IN THE PATTERN IS EXPECTED BEGINNING FRIDAY AS WARMER AIR
BEGINS TO PUSH INTO WESTERN PARTS OF THE PROVINCE. TEMPERATURES MAY
NUDGE BACK INTO THE DOUBLE DIGITS FOR SOME AREAS.

MB/SK...STARTING IN THE NORTH, THE 1002 MB LOW OVER SK/MB/NT/NU FOUR
CORNERS WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY TRUNDLE EASTWARD. GENERAL 2-4 CM OF
SNOW WILL OCCUR ALONG THE LOW TRACK TONIGHT THROUGH PARTS OF NORTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN/MANITOBA. THE LOW WILL BEGIN TO INTENSIFY GRADUALLY AS
IT TAPS INTO A NORTHWARD PUSH OF MOISTURE FROM THE MIDWEST LOW.
THIS WILL PROVIDE ENHANCED, BUT LOCALIZED SNOWFALL OVER THE CHURCHILL
AND TADOULE LAKE REGIONS TODAY. APPROXIMATELY 4-8 CM OF SNOW LOOKS
POSSIBLE BY THE END OF THE DAY OVER THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS.

AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO SPIN, A NEW PUSH OF COLD AIR ADVECTION
ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK DISTURBANCE OVER NORTHERN ALBERTA WILL
GENERATE A NEW COLD FRONT THAT WILL MORE OR LESS REPEAT THE
CONVECTIVE FLURRIES OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AGAIN ON
THURSDAY. THE AREA IMPACTED WILL GENERALLY BE THE SAME, BUT SHIFTED
EAST TO IMPACT THE WESTERN REGION OF MANITOBA AS WELL. THE FALLING
HEIGHTS AND MID LEVEL TEMPERATURE TROUGH ARE ALLOWING FOR FAIRLY
STEEP MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES IN A FAVOURABLE TEMPERATURE PROFILE.
THERE COULD AGAIN BE SOME BRIEF VISIBILITY DIPS IN HEAVIER SNOW
SHOWERS AS LOW AS 1/4 SM. THE ACTIVITY WILL BE SQUALL-LIKE IN NATURE,
BUT WITHOUT THE GUSTY WIND COMPONENT. THERE COULD BE SOME HIGHLY
LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE SNOW SHOWERS, PARTICULARLY
ANY AREAS THAT SEE REPEAT OCCURRENCES, BUT NO SNOWFALL WARNINGS ARE
ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

NWT/NU...THE LOW MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN TODAY AND INTO
NORTHERN MANITOBA TONIGHT WILL LEAD TO LOCALIZED ENHANCED SNOWFALL
OVER ARVIAT TODAY. EXPECTING 4-8 CM OF SNOWFALL BY THE END OF THE DAY
BEFORE THE LOW WEAKENS AND CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MOVE EASTWARD.

NIL SIG WX ELSEWHERE.

END/CARLSEN/STAUNTON