FOCN45 CWWG 261200
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 7:00 AM CDT FRIDAY APRIL
26 2024.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE KIVALLIQ.
BLIZZARD WARNING FOR CORAL HARBOR.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...UPPER AIR ANALYSIS SHOWED AN UPPER LOW OVER THE
KIVALLIQ ALONG WITH ANOTHER UPPER LOW OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC WITH
TROUGHING EXTENDING INTO QUEBEC. WEAK RIDGING OVER ONTARIO.

AT THE SURFACE, A 996 MB LOW OVER CENTRAL MANITOBA WITH A WARM FRONT
EAST AND COLD FRONT SOUTHWEST. AN OCCLUDED FRONT LEADS TO A SECOND
998 MB LOW OVER NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN/MANITOBA. RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE OVER QUEBEC EXTENDING INTO SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND. A SECOND
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ARCS FROM THE BEAUFORT SEA INTO NORTHERN NWT
AND NORTHWESTERN NUNAVUT.

DISCUSSION...

WRN PRAIRIES...MAINLY A QUIET DAY OVER ALBERTA TODAY, WITH A RIDGE
BUILDING OVER THE PROVINCE. AN EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE THE
FOOTHILLS REGION, ALONG WITH AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE FROM SOUTHERN
BC WILL BRING SOME SNOW TO THE MOUNTAIN PARKS REGIONS.SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS SHOULD BE FAIRLY MINIMAL WITH THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL FORECAST
TO FALL IN THE KANANASKIS AND BANFF/LAKE LOUISE AREAS, WHERE 2-4 CM
OF SNOW IS EXPECTED. OTHERWISE, AT TO SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONAL
TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST ACROSS MOST OF THE PROVINCE AS RIDGE PUSHES
IN SOME COOLER AIR FROM THE ARCTIC.

NT...AN EASTERLY FLOW INTO THE MOUNTAIN RANGE WILL BRING SOME STEADY
SNOW TO A FEW COMMUNITIES TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANT WITH NO MORE THAN 2-4 CM EXPECTED
BEFORE THE SNOW TAPERS OFF BY SATURDAY.

KIVALLIQ...LOW CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN MANITOBA MOVES NORTHEASTWARD
AND INTENSIFIES OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS, BRINGING SNOW AND BLOWING
SNOW TO THE AREA TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 10-15 CM ARE EXPECTED FOR SOME OF THE AREA, NOTABLY SOUTHAMPTON
ISLAND AND SOUTHWESTERN BAFFIN ISLAND. STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS
TODAY WILL BRING BLIZZARD OR NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO MUCH OF THE
KIVALLIQ COAST AND SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND.

A BLIZZARD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR CORAL HARBOR AS THIS SYSTEM
RAMPS UP FOR THE REGION, AND THE TOWNSITE WILL BE LOOKING AT TWO
DIFFERENT PERIODS OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. DURING THE DAY TODAY,
STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM WILL FUNNEL WINDS
THROUGH SOUTHERN SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND ALLOWING FOR NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY
IN THE GUSTY WINDS AND FALLING SNOW. THE WINDS WILL RELAX OVERNIGHT
AS THE CENTER OF THE SYSTEM PASSES OVER THE TOWNSITE, BUT WINDS WILL
REDEVELOP ON SATURDAY AS THE SYSTEM PULLS OFF TO FOXE BASIN AND THE
WINDS TURN AROUND TO BE FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE SECOND ITERATION OF
STRONG WINDS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY WILL LIKELY BE WORSE
THAN THE WINDS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY.

SOUTHERN MB/SK...EARLY THIS MORNING, THERE ARE SOME LINGERING
NOCTURNAL THUNDERSHOWERS THAT WILL STOP SPARKING THIS MORNING.
THE COLD FRONT FROM THE SYSTEM UP NORTH WILL CONTINUE TO PASS THROUGH
MANITOBA TODAY, WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN
MANITOBA. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE SHOT OF SOME THUNDER ALONG WITH THESE
SHOWERS, BUT CHANCE IS SMALL ENOUGH TO HAVE LEFT IT OUT OF THE PUBLIC
FORECAST. SHOWERS WILL LINGER OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS THE
COLD FRONT STALLS OUT IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF MB. MODEST
PWAT VALUES INDICATE ACCUMULATIONS ON THE ORDER OF 5 TO 10 MM. BEHIND
THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT, TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO HIGHS IN THE
UPPER SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW TEENS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BACK INTO
THE EASTERN PRAIRIES ON SATURDAY, ALLOWING FOR ANOTHER GUSTY DAY OVER
THE RRV.

HIGH ARCTIC...A STEADY STREAM OF MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BRING SNOWFALL
TO GRISE FIORD TODAY. ALTHOUGH MODEL UNCERTAINTY IS HIGH, ANOTHER
5-10 CM OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE TODAY BEFORE THE SNOW SLOWLY TAPERS OFF
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT.

OUTLOOK...BLIZZARD OR NEAR-BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE
KIVALLIQ AND PARTS OF THE QIKIQTAALUK AS THE LOW MOVES THROUGH THE
KIVALLIQ INTO NORTHERN HUDSON BAY AND THEN TO THE FOXE BASIN.

END/CARLSEN/GREENHOUGH