Snow totals increased in Alberta with up to 25 cm forecast in some areas
A good amount of snow is expected in some parts of Alberta over the Thanksgiving long weekend, with the forecast a tad clearer about which areas can be hit the hardest.
Early Friday morning, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued snowfall warnings for areas across west-central Alberta, with accumulation expected today and tomorrow.
The federal weather agency says that rainfall will change over to snow through the day today as temperatures drop. Accumulating snow will be confined to higher elevations during the day today, but will become widespread by this evening.
Snowfall amounts will be highly variable, ranging from about 7 cm to 25 cm. Communities in protected valleys and lower terrain, such as the townsites of Jasper, Grande Prairie, and Valleyview, will see snowfall totals at the lower end of this range. Areas of higher terrain and northeast-facing slopes, such as Highway 40 between Grande Prairie and Hinton, will see snowfall amounts at the higher end of this range. Snowfall will taper off north to south Saturday and Saturday night.
“Travel will likely be challenging. Visibility will likely be reduced at times. Local utility outages are possible. Allow extra time for travel. Take frequent breaks and avoid strain when clearing snow,” the ECCC warning added.
The ECCC Significant Weather Discussion posted Friday morning noted that “messaging for snow in this area is tricky as with temperatures near zero elevation differences, as well as terrain effects, will lead to large changes in snowfall amounts. Infrastructure in the same forecast region will have snowfall amounts ranging from seven to 25 cm, and honestly it’s quite possible even lower amounts could occur in a couple of locations. Nonetheless, there will be enough snow in enough of the individual forecast regions warned that there should be significant impacts to travel.”
The discussion added that the system bringing the precipitation to Alberta will have to be closely monitored, and quick changes to alerts and forecasts are possible mid-event.
A special weather statement also remained in effect for large swaths of the province Friday morning, including Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lloydminster, Lethbridge, Waterton Lakes National Park, Okotoks, and Canmore.
Looking at Alberta’s two largest cities, one is certainly seeing an uptick in better weather than how things were looking earlier this week.
Taking a peek at Edmonton first, the forecast shows plenty of rain and a dip in temperatures as we arrive at the start of the long weekend, with showers today and snow on Saturday, Oct. 10 and periods of snow that night with a low of -1°C. Alberta’s capital city will remain well below average for daytime highs for the rest of the long weekend.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average daytime high for this time of year in Edmonton is 12°C, while the average low is 1°C.
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Turning to Calgary, the forecast shows a dip in temperatures in the middle of the long weekend but much less precipitation than in Edmonton, with cloud cover and a high of 1°C on Saturday, Oct. 10 and a 40 per cent chance of flurries that night with a low of -1°C.
Much like its neighbours to the north, Calgary will also remain well below average for daytime highs for the rest of the long weekend.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average daytime high for this time of year in Calgary is 13°C, while the average low is 0°C.
You can view the full list of areas in Alberta under an ECCC special weather statement or warning online.
If you were curious about how the next few months of weather in Alberta are shaping up, we’ve got you covered.