Western snow steals the show this long weekend, more to come Monday
A stark divide across the country this long weekend put the West on snowy ground
This long weekend across Canada is a story of extremes between the unofficial start of summer and a winter that doesn’t quite want to quit.
Folks in the East are dealing with temperatures pushing 30 degrees with humidex values squarely in “soupy” territory. Meanwhile, it’s the middle of May in Western Canada and snow is still falling on ski resorts that are preparing to close up shop for the season.
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Residents reported snow in downtown Calgary on Friday, May 17, as wet flakes were spotted against the dark backdrop of buildings in the city centre. It’s a stark change from the warm and stormy conditions we’ve seen on the Prairies over the past few weeks.
This weekend’s winter-like setup arrives courtesy of a cold upper-level trough lingering over the Prairies. It’s this feature that provided the lift and cold temperatures aloft needed to deliver wet snow to the region—and there’s more where that came from.
Expect more snow into Monday
All the cold air on Sunday allowed for more snow to fall across parts of the province into Monday.
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Localized totals of 5+ cm are possible across higher terrain as temperatures hovered close to the freezing mark in the pre-dawn hours on Monday.
The snow is perfect timing for Banff as Sunshine Village wraps up its final skiable day of the year on Monday. The area finished the season with six metres of accumulated snowfall.
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Conditions aren’t going to warm up much heading into the day Monday. Calgary’s predicted high of just 9°C is more common of early April than the middle of May.
Folks at higher elevations over in British Columbia aren’t immune from the wintry weather, either, where snow has fallen in the mountains this weekend.
Another cold upper-level trough looking to descend into Western Canada by Tuesday could bring an encore performance with additional snowfall across parts of the region.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on this chilly mid-May pattern across Western Canada.
