Colorado low and Alberta clipper join forces to wallop Eastern Canada
An Alberta clipper and a Colorado low will make a formidable duo this week as it traverses Canada to bring widespread rain, strong winds and snow to the eastern half of the country
A pair of systems will team up for cross-country tour of Canada this week, leaving behind some windy, rainy and snowy impacts for many locales in the eastern half.
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A Colorado low that brought more than 130 cm of snowfall to some locales in Colorado over the weekend will now makes its way into the Great Lakes basin, but it won't come alone.
(RAMMB CIRA/NOAA)
An Alberta clipper, also making a cross-country trek, will be joining forces with the Colorado low to bring widespread rain and wind to Eastern Canada through the early part of the week.
This week:
The Colorado low and Alberta clipper will track into the Great Lakes region on Sunday, across southern Quebec early Monday and into Atlantic Canada by Monday night.
The former resulted in a major snowstorm for a large region in the southwest U.S. including New Mexico, Colorado, and even into westernmost parts of the Texas Panhandle. It led to record-breaking snowfall in Colorado over the past five days, with 135 cm documented in Fort Garland, Colo.
However, this will be a somewhat weaker system when it impacts Eastern Canada, and wintry impacts will be limited to eastern Quebec and Labrador. Widespread rain and windy conditions are likely from the Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada.
Ontario:
A Colorado low will meet an Alberta clipper over Ontario.
Northern Ontario will be getting a heavy swath of snow, with snowfall warnings calling for up to 20 cm of accumulations for some locales. The resulting winds could lead to blizzard-like conditions. Hazardous travel can be expected across northern Ontario, especially along the Trans-Canada Highway.
In the south, rain begins early Sunday and tapers off by Monday. This will be the first substantial rain for the south in weeks.
The precipitation will be accompanied by very strong wind gusts. Peak wind gusts off the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay shores will hit 70 km/h late Wednesday afternoon.
Quebec:
Snow blankets the central and northern portions of the province, with periods of rain spreading across the south. Winds intensifying Monday will bring difficult travel. Additional showers for southern Quebec can be expected through Monday night.
Some sunshine and near-seasonal temperatures will return for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Atlantic Canada:
Temperatures will turn briefly milder for the Maritimes as the systems track across the region on Monday, with widespread rain developing from west to east across the region. Rain and mild for Newfoundland Monday night and into early Tuesday.
The heaviest rainfall amounts are expected along the northern peninsula of Nova Scotia, pushing 50 mm by Wednesday for some locales.
Winds will intensify going into Tuesday and Wednesday, likely to make for difficult travel at times.
Heavy snow, meanwhile, is anticipated for most of Labrador.
With files from Laura Power, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital reporter at The Weather Network.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates across Eastern Canada.
