Coldest air of the season envelopes all of Eastern Canada next week
Are you ready for the frigid cold to be back, Canada? Some of you may have to wait a little longer, while others should be breaking out their winter jackets
For Canadians in Western Canada, the snow is lacking, as is the rain, which means a slow start to the ski season. A pattern shift with an abundance of rain and snow to the mountains would be welcomed news, but the models are suggesting quite the opposite. Instead, it will be Eastern Canada that gets the temperatures that will feel much colder than what most of the month of November has featured; and an abundance of snow is possible for many there.
A blocking pattern over Greenland will be the driver of this cold air being dislodged from the polar regions. This weather phenomenon is referred to as the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. This can occur when high pressure brings warm air over Greenland, allowing for a dip in the jet stream to the west and for Arctic air to sink south.
The Polar vortex, a word that comes alive every winter season, will be aptly utilized over the next week. The coldest air that has been recorded so far this fall has dipped to the minus forties in Nunavut – and it’s on the move south. Whenever a piece of the coldest air at the poles becomes dislodged and moves south, the Great Lakes and Eastern Canada usually need to bundle up for the subsequent bitter temperatures.
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The coldest air for the Great Lakes will arrive on Monday and into Tuesday with wind chills feeling close to minus twenty in northern Ontario. This will also bring the risk of a multi-day lake-effect snow event to the Great Lakes region. This setup occurs when the lakes are warm and have not frozen over, and a polar air mass moves over them, creating instability.
The instability develops due to a steep temperature difference, resulting in convection occurring. Rising air creates storm clouds over the moisture-filled lakes and winds move these snow clouds over land. It is at this time of year when many snowbelt locations can see some of the biggest snow accumulations of the year. Residents and travellers can expect the traditional snowbelts to be impacted throughout most of the final week of November.
The pattern will lock in for at least the next seven days, a good time to bring out the parkas and scarves for the first time this season. Though beyond that, there is some model support that suggests a warming trend. The Weather Network will release their official Winter Forecast on November 29, so stay tuned for a detailed look at your area.
