Reading Time: 2 minutes The weather models have come into fairly good agreement for the storm system forecasted to impact much of the southern prairies over the next 24 to 48 hours. An area of low pressure is developing over Wyoming with an inverted trough stretching northwestwards.
Prairie forecast: Storm system heads for southern Prairies
Updates forecast issued Feb. 29, covering Feb. 29 to March 6, 2024
Prairie forecast: More much-needed moisture expected
Issued Feb. 29, covering Feb. 29 to March 6, 2024
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cold Arctic air has invaded the Prairies much to many people’s surprise. We have gotten so used to mild spring-like weather that some people may be put off that winter has returned. For those who read my last column, this type of weather shouldn't be surprising since we are now moving into what can be the snowiest time of the year.
Prairie forecast update: Storms roll in
Updates forecast issued Feb. 21, 2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes The weather models are coming into agreement with up coming storm system. The low was forecasted to develop over southern Alberta on Sunday with widespread snow developing to the north and west of the low. This placed the Edmonton region in the main snow band with 10 or so centimetres forecasted to fall across this region. The snow should move out quickly on Monday as cold arctic air pours southwards behind the low dropping temperatures to below average, but only for a couple of day.
Prairie forecast: Mild start, then a chance of storms
Issued Feb. 21, covering Feb. 21 to 28, 2024
Reading Time: 4 minutes Sunshine prevailed a fair bit more over the last forecast period than expected and so did the milder temperatures. Oh, sure there were a couple of cold nights, especially over the eastern half of the prairies, but overall, temperatures ended up being about 2 to 4 C warmer than what was forecasted.
Prairie forecast: Dry and mild west, seasonal east
Issued Feb. 14, covering Feb 14 to 21, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you haven’t noticed, it has been an unusual winter, and that unusualness is causing all sorts of headaches with weather forecasting. In particular, cloud cover. In the last forecast period, it looked as if high pressure would dominate the weather bringing plenty of clear skies along with more seasonable temperatures.
Prairie forecast: Stormy start in the east, slightly cooler west
Issued Feb. 7, covering Feb. 7 to 14, 2024
Reading Time: 4 minutes You can’t say it has been a strange and interesting winter. First, we saw a wintery end to October, then fall moved back in for most of November and December before we finally saw a big old shot winter in mid-January. Now we have been dealing with spring like conditions over the last two weeks – what’s next? Well, it looks like winter is going to try and make a comeback.
Prairie forecast: A little more heat, then slow cool down
Issued Jan. 31, 2024. Covers Jan. 31 to Feb. 7
Reading Time: 4 minutes The big question for this forecast period is whether these mild temperatures will continue, or we see a return to more seasonable mid-winter temperatures? All I can say is that spring isn’t quite here yet.
Prairie forecast: Warm weather returns
Issued Jan. 24, 2024, covering Jan. 24 to 31
Reading Time: 3 minutes For this forecast period, it looks like our weather pattern will undergo a shift back to the mild pattern we experienced at the beginning of the winter. It also looks like the warm weather will stick around for at least a couple of weeks. The million-dollar question is whether we will see another outbreak of cold arctic air, or will we see an early start to spring? Well, if I knew that answer to that, I would be rich, but I don’t think winter is over quite yet.
Prairie forecast: More typical mid-winter weather
Issued Jan. 17, covering Jan. 17 to 24
Reading Time: 3 minutes For this forecast period it looks like it'll simply be winter--not bone chilling cold, but not springtime warm. The general pattern that appears to be developing across the prairies is showing warm air trying to push northeastwards out of the western U.S., but with a northwesterly flow across the prairies, it looks like there will be a parade of cold, arctic high-pressure systems dropping southeastwards every few of days. The question is, just how far north will the warm air push, or for far south will the arctic air push?
Prairie forecast: Frigid temperatures moving in
Issued Jan. 10, 2024, covering Jan 10 to 17
Reading Time: 3 minutes Coldest temperatures look to be over the western prairies but there looks to be some relief from the really cold temperatures early next week. With cold arctic high pressure dominating, little in the way of snow is expected during this forecast period.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
