Canada being hit by 3 separate storm systems: Here’s where
Three separate systems are impacting some Canadians this week, bringing snow, freezing rain and near-zero visibility due to fog.
Across the country, people on both coasts woke up to weather alerts from Environment Canada warning of messy weather ahead.
CTV Your Morning’s chief meteorologist Kelsey McEwen said the three systems are “dynamic,” and will be moving across Canada over the next few days.
FOG TO SNOW
A storm system that brought an “atmospheric river” to the West Coast is passing over the mountains into Alberta from B.C., meteorologists said Thursday.
Due to the temperatures in the mountains, parts of northern B.C. were warned they’d experience fog. An advisory was issued Thursday morning for an area stretching into the Thebacha Region in the Northwest Territories.
The forecast said Canadians should expect “near-zero visibility” in the Cariboo region and in Prince George in B.C., and in the areas of Fort Smith and Salt River Reserve, N.W.T., on Thursday morning.
The fog was expected to lift by midday, the advisory said.
On the other side of the Rocky mountains, the story is very different.
Environment Canada issued snowfall warnings for Alberta communities near Banff National Park, including Canmore, Rocky Mountain House and Calgary.
Snow began overnight Wednesday, the forecaster said, predicting a total of 10 to 20 centimetres through Thursday.
“Higher amounts are possible in some locations, though Calgary itself is expected to receive near 10 cm,” the warning read.
The storm was expected to pass the region by Thursday night.
During the day, the snowstorm from western Alberta was forecast to stretch into the Saskatchewan communities of Manitou Lake, Marsden and Prince Albert.
FREEZING RAIN TO SNOW
Further northeast in Alberta, the communities of Vermilion, Wainwright and Bonnyville were warned they’d experience a different storm system.
“Patchy” freezing rain was predicted in the early hours, though Environment Canada said it would end Thursday morning.
The same system crossed the border into Saskatchewan on Wednesday evening.
“It’s a real mess across Saskatchewan this morning,” McEwen said on Your Morning.
A warm front from Alberta spread over the province earlier this week, and could be mixed with snow as temperatures “hover” near 0 C, according to Environment Canada.
In central Saskatchewan, the low-pressure system is bringing freezing rain in Yorkton, Binscarth and Kamsack.
Closer to the Manitoba border, snowfall totals from this same weather system could be around 10 to 15 centimetres, Environment Canada said, predicting the precipitation would transition over to freezing rain by Thursday evening.
Stretching into northern Manitoba, around Lake Winnipeg, Environment Canada warned snowfall accumulations “may be higher.”
The “heavy” snow was expected to taper off by Friday afternoon, according to Environment Canada.
STORM BREWING IN ATLANTIC OCEAN
Another storm, this time coming from an area off the coast of Greenland, is expected to make landfall in Newfoundland and Labrador by Thursday night, the weather agency said.
“That has prompted some pretty significant warnings and alerts from Environment Canada,” McEwen said.
The winter storm warning from Environment Canada warned Canadians in this area should prepare for “hazardous” conditions, with 20 to 30 centimetres of snow possible in higher terrain.
Smaller amounts are in the forecast for the coastline, the website read.
Communities of Corner Brook and Rocky Harbour fell under the advisories. Other parts of Newfoundland, including the Northern Peninsula East and Bay of Exploits, fell under blowing snow advisories from Environment Canada.
In mainland Labrador, parts of Cartwright, Paradise River and Rigolet were expected to emerge mostly unscathed, with a total snowfall amount forecast between 7 and 15 centimetres.
However, in Postville and Makkovil, N.L., snowfall accumulation could be near 35 centimetres by Friday evening.
“Snow will become heavy, at times, this evening. Rain may begin to mix with snow along parts of the coast on Friday as temperatures approach zero,” the winter storm warning from Environment Canada read.
