FOCN45 CWWG 161200
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CDT THURSDAY APRIL
16 2026.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...SNOWFALL WARNINGS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHERN ALBERTA,
AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN. FREEZING RAIN WARNING
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN SK AND MB.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, AN UPPER LOW IS LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN BC
AND WASHINGTON STATE. THE POLAR VORTEX CONTINUES TO SIT ANCHORED OVER
THE EASTERN ARCTIC WITH ITS BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW INFLUENCING MUCH OF
CANADA'S EASTERN ARCTIC. SOUTHWEST FLOW IS OVER THE PRAIRIES WITH A
FEW SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW, ONE LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN AB AND
ANOTHER OVER NORTHERN MB.

AT THE SURFACE, A 1005 MB LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS LOCATED OVER NW
ONTARIO A DEVELOPING LEE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN ALBERTA
SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD A 997 MB LOW OVER SOUTHEASTERN MONTANA. RIDGING
EXTENDS FROM THE BEAUFORT SEA SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL
ARCTIC. A 997 MB LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SITS OFF THE NORTHERN BAFFIN
COAST.

DISCUSSION...

AB...HEAVY SNOW IS ONGOING OVER SOUTHERN ALBERTA AND WILL GRADUALLY
END WEST-TO-EAST TODAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THUS FAR HAVE BEEN FEW
AND FAR BETWEEN (PARTICULARLY UNDER THE HEAVIEST BANDS OF SNOW),
HOWEVER WE DID RECEIVE A REPORT OF 30-35 CM IN THE GLEICHEN AREA.
THIS SAME SPOTTER ALSO REPORTED SNOW DRIFTS BETWEEN 60-70 CM IN SOME
SPOTS NEAR THE TRANS CANADA HIGHWAY. ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 5-15 CM
ARE EXPECTED TODAY BEFORE THIS EVENT COMES TO A CLOSE OVER ALBERTA.

FOG PATCHES MAY FORM IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM TONIGHT OVER SOUTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE PROVINCE.

MB/SK...A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM WILL BE TRACKING THROUGH THE
PRAIRIES TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY WITH HEAVY SNOW, BLOWING
SNOW, AND FREEZING RAIN LIKELY TO PUSH THROUGH MUCH OF SOUTHERN
SASKATCHEWAN AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA. THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD HAS
BLOSSOMED OVERNIGHT OVER SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN. GENERALLY
PRECIPITATION IS FALLING AS SNOW, SAVE FOR ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL
BORDER WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE SLOW TO COOL BELOW FREEZING. THE LOW
EXITING OUT OF MB THIS MORNING DREW SOME COOLER AIR IN BEHIND IT, AND
THE MONTANA LOW DRIFTING NORTHEASTWARD IS DRAWING UP WARMER AIR TO
COMPACT THE BAROCLINICITY OVER THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES. THERE IS
CONSIDERABLE ISENTROPIC ASCENT OVER THE NORTHERN FLANK OF THIS SYSTEM
WITH NOTABLE LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY IN A PROFILE THAT WILL BECOME
QUITE CONDUCIVE TO SNOW GROWTH. FARTHER SOUTH, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE
TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY AND JUST NORTH, THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE A MIX
OR HEAVY WET SNOW IN THE MORNING. AS THE COOLER AIR ENCROACHES IN
BEHIND, THE SLRS WILL INCREASE AND ACCUMULATIONS WILL INTENSIFY
THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THE SNOWFALL WARNING THAT WAS
ISSUED BY THE DAYSHIFT YESTERDAY WILL BE EXTENDED TO THE MB BORDER
WITH THE MORNING FORECAST ISSUE. THE HEAVIEST BANDS LOOK TO BE
BETWEEN 15-25 CM OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION.

SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION OVER MANITOBA STILL SEEMS TO BE LESS OF A
CONCERN THAN FOR SK. IN AREAS THAT ARE FORECASTED TO RECEIVE
ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL, MOSTLY WESTERN MANITOBA, AMOUNTS WILL
GENERALLY RANGE FROM 5 TO 10 CM. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOME HIGHER
TERRAIN AREAS IN THE RIDING MOUNTAINS MAY SEE SOME ACCUMULATIONS UP
TO 15 CM, BUT FORECASTS WILL REMAIN SUBWARNING.

THE FREEZING RAIN RISK IMPOSED BY THE CONSIDERABLE WARM AIR ADVECTION
WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER TO THE
TRANSCANADA. FREEZING RAIN WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE ESTEVAN
AND CARLYLE REGIONS AS MODELS INDICATE THAT AREA TO BE THE BIGGEST
THREAT. THIS THREAT CONTINUES EASTWARD, PARTICULARLY AFFECTING THE
RED RIVER VALLEY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AS ANOTHER IMPULSE OF MOISTURE
TRANSLATES ACROSS A WARM FRONT THROUGH THE REGION. STATEMENTS WILL
REMAIN AS A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR MANITOBA, AS WARNING LEVEL
SNOW IS NOT EXPECTED, AND IT REMAINS TOO EARLY FOR FREEZING RAIN
BULLETINS TO BE ISSUED.

NT...NIL SIG WX.

NUNAVUT...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPED AT IQALUIT OVERNIGHT WITH
A SURFACE LOW POSITIONED OF THE CUMBERLAND PENINSULA OF BAFFIN
ISLAND, AND QUICKLY PRODUCED A VISBILITY REDUCTION OF A HALF MILE
WITH COLD TEMPERATURES, A FAVOURABLE WIND DIRECTION, AND RECENT
SNOWFALL. BLOWING SNOW WILL SPORADICALLY CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY,
EASING THIS EVENING.

END/CARLSEN/PIMISKERN