FOCN45 CWWG 111900
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT SATURDAY APRIL
11 2026.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...NONE AT THIS TIME.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, AN UPPER RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS OF THE UNITED STATES NORTHWEST INTO SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND THE
BRITISH COLUMBIA INTERIOR. IN THE NORTH, THE POLAR VORTEX IS
ANCHORED OVER THE MELVILLE PENINSULA WITH A LONG-WAVE TROUGH THAT
RUNS WEST-SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA. A SHORTWAVE IS LOCATED IN THE BASE OF THE TROUGH,
OVER NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE CYCLONIC INFLUENCE, ASSOCIATED
WITH THE POLAR VORTEX, EXTENDS ACROSS ALMOST ALL CANADA'S ARCTIC
REGION. BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES, A STRONG ZONAL FLOW SITS OVER
MUCH OF THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES AND NORTHWEST ONTARIO WITH THE
STRONGEST JET CORE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THESE AREAS.

AT THE SURFACE, DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE IS OVER MONTANA. HIGH
PRESSURE EXTENDS FROM THE GREAT LAKES NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH
NORTHEASTERN MANITOBA AND THROUGH NWT. A 1005 MB LOW SITS NEAR
SANIRAJAK, OCCLUDED AND STACKED UNDER THE POLAR VORTEX.

DISCUSSION...

WESTERN PRAIRIES...AN APPROACHING SYSTEM MOVING IN FROM NORTHERN BC
WILL BRING A MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION TYPES TO ALBERTA TODAY AND
TONIGHT. A BAND OF RAIN OR A RAIN
SNOW MIX, THAT WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW, WILL MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS
NORTHERN ALBERTA AND INTO NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN BY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. GENERALLY 2-4 CM OF SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER NORTHERN REGIONS
OF ALBERTA. HOWEVER, LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY
IN
THE RED EARTH REGION. AS THE SYSTEM TRACKS INTO NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN
TODAY, UPWARDS OF 10 CM CAN BE EXPECTED FOR KEY LAKE AND SOUTHEND
REGIONS. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO
SLIDE SOUTHWARD THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT, BRINGING SOME LIGHT SNOW
TO MOST REGIONS OF ALBERTA, INCLUDING EDMONTON BY SUNDAY MORNING. AS
THE COLD FRONT GAINS MOMENTUM, SOME NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING
BETWEEN 60-70 KM/H ARE EXPECTED FOR AREAS TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF
EDMONTON AND THE HIGHWAY 2 CORRIDOR OVERNIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY
MORNING. ADDITIONALLY, SOME HEAVIER SNOW IS EXPECTED ALONG THE
FOOTHILLS AND HIGHWAY 93, WHERE HIGHER ELEVATIONS CAN EXPECT A FEW CM
OF SNOW OVERNIGHT.

EASTERN PRAIRIES...A SHORTWAVE EMBEDDED IN THE STRONG WESTERLY FLOW
ALOFT WILL TRACK ALONG THE NORTHERN FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE PRAIRIES
TODAY AND BRING A NARROW BAND OF LIGHT SNOW THAT TRACKS ACROSS
NORTHERN MANITOBA, STRETCHING FROM THE NORTHERN ENDS OF THE MANITOBA
LAKES NORTH THROUGH FLIN FLON AND THOMPSON. AS IT WARMS, THE SNOW
MAY SHIFT MORE TOWARDS WET SNOW OR EVEN MIXED WITH RAIN FOR AREAS
FURTHER SOUTH. WITH LOW SLRS AND NEAR-FREEZING TEMPERATURES, MUCH OF
THE IMPACTED AREA WILL RECEIVE 2 TO 5 CM OF SNOW WITH THIS IMPULSE.

ON SUNDAY, ANOTHER IMPULSE WILL MOVE INTO THE SAME AREA, BRINGING
ANOTHER WAVE OF SNOW. IT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE REGION FURTHER NORTH,
LIKELY ALONG A LINE FROM LYNN LAKE EAST THROUGH GILLAM, AND WILL FALL
INTO A COLDER AIR MASS THAN SATURDAY'S SNOW. THIS WILL ALLOW SNOW TO
ACCUMULATE MORE READILY, AND THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A NARROW BAND OF 5
TO 10 CM ACROSS THE REGION. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF QUICKLY ON SUNDAY
EVENING.

FURTHER SOUTH, AS WARMER AIR PUSHES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES AND
A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPS NEAR THE MONTANA/SASKATCHEWAN BORDER
TODAY, THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER SOUTHERN MANITOBA WILL INTENSIFY,
BRINGING STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY WINDS TO THE RED RIVER VALLEY.
SUSTAINED WINDS WILL LIKELY CLIMB INTO THE 40 TO 50 KM/H RANGE WITH
GUSTS NEAR 70 KM/H POSSIBLE. THESE WINDS WILL EASE INTO THE 20 TO 30
KM/H RANGE OVERNIGHT.

RAIN SHOWERS WITH THE RISK OF ISOLATED, EMBEDDED THUNDERSHOWERS WILL
DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN AND MANITOBA ON
SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AS THE MONTANA/SASKATCHEWAN LOW CENTRE
TRACKS EAST. THERE WILL BE BROAD SYNOPTIC LIFT IN WARM ADVECTION
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES, SUPPORTED BY A SOUTHWESTERLY H500 FLOW
THAT MOVES FROM SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN ON SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SOUTHERN
MANITOBA ON SUNDAY MORNING.

MUCAPE VALUES COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 600 OR 700 J/KG IN SASKATCHEWAN
OVERNIGHT, THEN DIMINISH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING AS CONVECTION DRIFTS
EAST. WITH PLENTY OF CLOUD THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN MANITOBA ON SUNDAY,
CAPE VALUES WILL NOT LIKELY RECOVER DUE TO A LACK OF INSOLATION AND
STABLE AIR BEING WRAPPED NORTH FROM CONVECTION IN THE UNITED STATES.

WESTERN ARCTIC...A BAROCLINIC ZONE HAS SETTLED OVER THE MACKENZIE
VALLEY SO MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF LIGHT SNOW WITH NEGLIGIBLE AMOUNTS
EXPECTED TODAY AND INTO SUNDAY.

EASTERN ARCTIC...WINDS HAVE EASED SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN
ARCTIC OVER THE LAST 12 TO 24 HOURS AS THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE
MELVILLE PENINSULA HAS WEAKENED. WINDS WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR MOST
AREAS TODAY, THOUGH MODERATE EAST OR SOUTHEAST WINDS IN SANIRAJAK
AND IGLOOLIK AREAS TODAY WILL BRING SOME BLOWING SNOW FOR THESE
COMMUNITIES FOR PART OF THE DAY. THE AREA SHOULD GET A REPRIEVE FROM
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND.

HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK, ATTENTION TURNS TO A NEW LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM
THAT WILL BE CAPTURED BY THE POLAR VORTEX. IT WILL BRING ACCUMULATING
SNOW TO MUCH OF BAFFIN ISLAND AND THE MELVILLE PENINSULA AS IT
DEEPENS TO A LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH CENTRAL PRESSURE IN THE 970
TO 980 MB RANGE.

THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO MANY PARTS OF THE EASTERN
ARCTIC WITH WINDS OF 60 TO 70 KM/H POSSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THE KIVALLIQ
AND SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND. THESE WINDS WILL LIKELY DRIVE BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION; ALERTS WILL BE
ISSUED LATER THIS WEEKEND AS CONFIDENCE IN TIMING AND LOCATION
IMPROVES.

END/VROLIJK/MOODIE/GREENHOUGH/BATE