Snow interrupts Thanksgiving festivities in Calgary and parts of B.C.
Several folks in B.C. and Alberta will be giving thanks for the winter wonderland scenery during the long weekend.
While many parts of Eastern Canada are seeing relatively ordinary conditions this Thanksgiving weekend, several regions in B.C. and Alberta are watching the snow accumulate as temperatures hover near zero degrees. Calgary and other parts of southern Alberta saw snow on Monday due to cold arctic air flowing into the region.
Snow isn’t the most typical type of weather that Calgarians expect on Thanksgiving, but meteorologists say that it is not unheard of during this part of autumn. “Calgary’s first snowfall of the autumn season has come in September 70 times, including last year, when the city saw 34.4 cm from September 27-30,” says The Weather Network meteorologist Kevin MacKay.
Some mountain passes in B.C. are seeing freezing levels drop to 1500 metres, which will create the conditions for flurries and accumulating snow during the Thanksgiving weekend. The wintry weather in these high elevation regions will continue for several days as the freezing levels dip even further to 1200 metres by Tuesday due to cool air being pulled in from the northwest.
Northern Alberta also saw snowfall on Sunday in Fort McMurray. The Weather Network meteorologist Matt Grinter says that this isn’t unusual for this part of Alberta, which usually sees some snow in Septemeber and almost always sees snow in October. However, Grinter does note that Fort McMurray has been above seasonal for most of this month, but are currently about 5°C below season due to cold winds from the northwest.
See below for a look at the snowfall during the Thanksgiving weekend.
Silverstar Mountain, British Columbia on October 11, 2020. Credit: Kyle Brittain
Silverstar Mountain, British Columbia on October 11, 2020. Credit: Kyle Brittain
Thumbnail courtesy: Braydon Morisseau
