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Prairie forecast: Is winter making one last push?

Issued March 20, covering March 20-27, 2024

A sprawling Arctic high pressure system is poised to dominate the region, ushering in colder-than-normal temperatures reminiscent of January's grip, but not as cold. While cold snaps this time of year often bring snow, the prevailing high pressure suggests storm activity will largely skirt the area, save for southern and southwestern Alberta where significant snowfall is anticipated.





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Prairie forecast: More much-needed moisture expected

Issued Feb. 29, covering Feb. 29 to March 6, 2024

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.

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Prairie forecast: Dry and mild west, seasonal east

Issued Feb. 14, covering Feb 14 to 21, 2024

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.


File photo of winter wheat plants in snow. (Volodymyr Shtun/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie forecast: Stormy start in the east, slightly cooler west

Issued Feb. 7, covering Feb. 7 to 14, 2024

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.



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Prairie forecast: Winter temperatures moving in

Issued Jan. 03, covering: Jan. 3 – 10

Looking at this forecast period, the best way I can describe it is that we will be seeing a slow slide into more seasonal temperatures. The persistent upper-level ridging that brought warm--and record warm temperatures--to much of the prairies in December has broken down. The weather models are showing a trough of low pressure developing over the west coast over the next seven days.