Southern Alberta & Saskatchewan on winter storm watch this weekend


Fri., November 6, 2020

Winter storm watches have been issued by Environment Canada for a chunk of southern Alberta.

As of 1:30 p.m., Calgary was not included in the list. The following communities and surrounding areas are warned by Environment Canada that the rapid snowfall could make travel difficult.

Communities on winter storm watch


Brooks, Strathmore, Vulcan


Cardston, Fort Macleod, Magrath


Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Creek, Waterton Lakes National Park


Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Foremost


Hanna, Coronation, Oyen


Lethbridge, Taber, Milk River


Medicine Hat, Bow Island, Suffield


Okotoks, High River, Claresholm

Environment Canada said about five centimetres is expected in Brooks, Hanna and Oyen, as well as possibly 10 to 15 centimetres in the foothills.

Kyle Brittain, the local bureau chief for The Weather Network, told the Calgary Eyeopener that Albertans shouldn't be fooled by initial mild temperatures.

Brittain advised travellers to stay home if they can.

"We're actually going to be starting to see some of that light snow developing today across parts of far, southwestern Alberta," he said.

"But it's really going to start to ramp up as we get late into Friday night, early Saturday morning."

Brittain said over the weekend, there may be blizzard-like conditions for areas south of Calgary, particularly Medicine Hat.

Fiona Odlum, CBC News

"We're looking at a few different rounds of heavy snow potentially blowing around, especially the winds are really going to start to increase as we get into Saturday and into Sunday," he said.

As well, a potential "historic" snowstorm across parts of southern Saskatchewan may cause road closures.

"So something to keep in mind if there were travel plans to head east at all this weekend … it may become difficult or impossible," Brittain said.

He said if you need to travel, carry an emergency kit, a charged phone and keep in contact with others.

Total snowfall amounts range from 30 to 40 centimetres, said Environment Canada.

Up to 50 cm of snow in some communities

Brittain says Pincher Creek and Waterton could potentially get up to 50 centimetres of snow between the span of Friday evening and Monday morning.

"So tucked into that southwestern corner of Alberta, we have the added effect of the terrain that the winds flow upslope in southwestern Alberta," he said.

"And as we progress into the weekend, it gets colder so that snow is going to become lighter and fluffier and certainly able to blow around in the strong winds."

Brittain said that's good enough reason to stay off the roads if you can.

Frankie MacDonald, a popular weather forecaster out of Nova Scotia, agrees. He says Albertans need to "be prepared!"

Take a listen to his full warning in the video below.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.

Huge snow dump coming to the Sask. this weekend

Thu., November 5, 2020

After a week of high temperatures breaking records thanks to a warm front bringing temps into the low 20s, people in Saskatchewan are now preparing to trade in their sandals for snowshoes.

The recent beautiful weather will play a role in the upcoming weekend winter event. The warm air coupled with arctic air being pushed in and a deepening low pressure system state-side could be a recipe for record-breaking snow in the province.

Starting late on Friday, a low pressure system will begin moving across the the central grainbelt, bringing a mix of snow and freezing rain, and potentially ice pellets. As this system moves from the south west corner quickly north, areas like Saskatoon will experience potentially hazardous roads conditions due to both ice and reduced visibility.

Fiona Odlum, CBC News

Only about one cm of snow and about one mm of rain are expected Friday, but on Saturday Saskatoon will see a deepening upper-level trough, bringing a dramatic change in temperatures and much more intense snow.

Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford should expect 10 cm of snow Saturday, but areas like Swift Current will see around five cm and Regina should expect about one cm (with one mm of freezing rain mixed in).

The big show

Things should change for the worse on Sunday. Snowfall rates will start to rapidly intensify across southern areas and the wind will increase from the north east, at 35 km/hr gusting to 55. Visibility will decrease quickly.

This scenario is a classic Colorado low, as it will bring intense snow and will move quickly, slicing the province on a northeast angle. This storm also has the potential to become a blizzard and close highways, including the TransCanada.

"Regina is flirting with freezing rain at first, but 30 cm looks possible with the heaviest snow coming Sunday evening and overnight," Terri Lang with Environment and Climate Change Canada said.

"Many places in Sask. will likely get over 30 cm of snow, with snow and blowing snow a big issue well into Monday. Freezing rain is a real threat in the southeast."

Blowing and drifting snow and whiteout conditions are possible and people should only travel after consulting the Saskatchewan Highways Hotline. The storm is anticipated to hit its peak Sunday night.

The bullseye of the storm is settling over Moose Jaw, where snowfall could be between 40 and 50 cm.

Regina could see 30 to 40 cm from Sunday night into Monday morning. Saskatoon could see approximately 25 centimeters on Sunday, making for a weekend total of as much as 35 centimeters by the time the storm passes.

Daytime highs will be below freezing on Saturday and Sunday, creating an increased risk of highways freezing over and creating unfavourable driving conditions.

Travellers in the southeast corner of the province should be cautious over the weekend, as the storm will transition to mostly freezing rain and ice pellets. This will also me a major concern for commuting.

By Monday the system should start to weaken and move onto Manitoba. Looking at the week ahead, temperatures return to seasonal and overnight lows will be below season at -19 C on Monday into Tuesday.