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This week: Heavy snow, hazardous travel targets all Prairie provinces
Snow warnings are in effect for northern and southern Alberta, where heavy snow will fall Tuesday into Wednesday. More warnings are likely to be issued on Tuesday as rain starts to push eastwards. “Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Visibility can drop suddenly at times in heavy snow. Take frequent breaks and avoid straining when clearing snow,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says in the warning ). By Wednesday morning, widespread light snow, with possibly higher snowfall rates in the foothills and southern Alberta, will fall across Alberta, central Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba. Snow, combined with gusty winds, could lead to difficult travel on long stretches of southern Alberta Wednesday morning. With reduced visibility expected, it’s best to plan for a slower commute in and around Calgary. Snow will begin to taper off across Alberta on Thursday, though it will continue for Saskatchewan and Manitoba into the afternoon. The system will then move east of the Prairies by Thursday afternoon.
Snow confidence
At this point, 10-30 cm of snow is expected in the foothills, with the largest amounts expected at the highest altitudes. Southern parts of Alberta may rip 20+ cm. A good 10-20 cm of snow is expected along an axis from southern Alberta to northern Manitoba. Calgary is within the 5-15cm range, but tends towards the higher end. Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, Alta., could get close to 8 inches of snow. Thumbnail courtesy of Darren Howard. Be sure to check back for the latest conditions on the meadows
