Alberta clipper could bring 5-10 cm of snow to Saskatoon

A late-season Alberta clipper is expected to bring several centimetres of snow to parts of central and northern Saskatchewan.

A late season “Alberta Clipper” is set to bring a return of snowy conditions for some areas of central and northern Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon.

On Monday afternoon, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a snowfall warning for said regions.

In a special weather statement issued at 4:33 a.m. Monday, Environment Canada said it expects snowfall to begin early Tuesday morning and continue overnight into Wednesday.

At 3:13 p.m., the original statement was upgraded to a snowfall warning, with ECCC adding that the clipper could impact southern Saskatchewan as well.

As of 3:50 p.m. the city of Regina was subject to a special weather statement.

“With areas along and near the Yellowhead Highway being near the freezing mark, there remains considerable uncertainty in how much snow accumulates or melts on contact with the ground,” the statement read.

“Areas on the southern edge of the snowfall warning will see wet snow with less accumulation. There will also be a risk of brief freezing rain in this area on Tuesday into Tuesday evening.”

Environment Canada added that areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway will likely receive the precipitation as freezing rain -- with even the risk of a few lightning strikes.

As the system approaches, ECCC said it was possible for the snowfall warnings to be expanded southward.

• Hourly and 7-day forecast on our CTVNewsSaskatoon.ca weather hub

Areas from Meadow Lake to Prince Albert and southeast toward Yorkton are expected to receive about 15 to 20 centimetres as the system moves through the province, said Christopher Stammers, a meteorologist for ECCC.

Stammers said Saskatoon will sit on the southern edge of the heaviest snowfall, with a mild start to the day bringing rain or wet snow before a cold front moves in Tuesday night, changing rain over to snow.

“By Tuesday night, it does look like a good swath of probably about 5 to 10 cm for the Saskatoon area,” he said in an interview with CTV News.

Stammers said the conditions are not unusual for this time of year, as cold Arctic air continues to move into the region.

“We’re still seeing cold air coming down from the north, and that will turn things over to snow pretty easily with these systems,” he said.

In southern areas of the province, including Regina and Moose Jaw, he said residents can expect rain, milder temperatures and some instability.

“There might even be a chance of some lightning strikes,” he said.

He reminds travellers to check the ECCC website and the Highway Hotline for updates on weather and road conditions.

“Expect travel to be poor north of Saskatoon. Further south, it should generally be pretty mild, so not expecting huge travel impacts to the south,” he said.

Stammers also noted the snow is not expected to stick around for long, with many areas of the province set to warm up later this week.