Who ordered snow? The Prairies may see snow on Thanksgiving weekend
With the threat of snow and gusty winds in the forecast this Thanksgiving weekend for parts of the Prairies, you will want to give yourself plenty of extra time on the road to get to your destination
Thanksgiving weekend could prove a little disruptive for family get-togethers and travelling for parts of the Prairies as Mother Nature may have its own plans.
Autumn snowfalls certainly aren't rare in Canada, and portions of Western Canada are in line to see a shot of it on Saturday and Sunday. The poorly timed snow and blustery wind gusts will make likely make travel difficult for parts of the region.
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However, there’s still some uncertainty surrounding the timing of the snow and potential amounts. Travel could prove difficult in spots.
Cold front crashes across the Prairies on Saturday and Sunday
Alberta is first in line to experience the rapid temperature drop on Saturday as our cold front moves through the province. Temperatures are on track to fall as much as 15 degrees in Edmonton and Calgary.
Snow across the Rockies will slowly creep toward lower elevations during the overnight hours, including Calgary. Exact accumulations are uncertain at this time, but it appears eastern portions of Alberta will see more flurries while accumulation remains confined to parts of the foothills.
Marginal snowfall scenarios make accumulation forecasts difficult, but locally, a few cm are forecast through Saturday overnight.
Thunderstorms in October?
A dynamic low-pressure system will bring sharp temperature contrasts and ample moisture.
Saturday night could feature a couple of isolated thunderstorms across Manitoba, but the more widespread thunderstorm risk spills in Sunday afternoon across southeastern Saskatchewan, arcing into Manitoba, as instability bubbles up in the warm sector of the developing low.
While Regina transitions to wet snow, Winnipeg will be sitting in the low 20s.
Wind and snow could interrupt travel
Flurries will wrap early Sunday morning for Calgary, but a wintry mix is pushing across southwestern Saskatchewan, including Swift Current.
The low will move into Saskatchewan on Sunday, spreading rainfall across parts of the province. Locally heavy rainfall will target Regina, Sask., before a transition over to wet snow into Sunday afternoon.
Very little in the way of precipitation is forecast for southwestern Manitoba as the storm develops a dry slot.
Strong gusts between 40–60 km/h on Sunday morning, with gusts exceeding 70 km/h across Saskatchewan by Sunday afternoon and evening.
Gusty winds will spread across Manitoba through Sunday evening and overnight, with winds beyond 80 km/h possible.
Thompson, Man., likely receives the heaviest snowfall with this event, with local amounts near 15 cm.
These gusty conditions combined with potential snowfall could lead to poor visibility.
There remains significant uncertainty around snowfall amounts. Since southeastern Alberta and the Prairies have temperature in the 20s through Saturday, the ground will remain warm, which may hinder some snowfall accumulation.
Temperatures in Saskatchewan and Manitoba will see a significant decline as the cold front moves through.
Highs on 25°C on Saturday in Saskatchewan and Manitoba will drop to just a couple of degrees above freezing by Sunday afternoon.
Looking ahead, temperatures will struggle to rebound to the seasonal mark as the trough responsible for our unsettled conditions locks in over the region with some slight ridging for southern Saskatchewan into Manitoba late week.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across the Prairies.