FOCN45 CWWG 242000
SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM
PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CST WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 24 2025.

ALERTS IN EFFECT...SNOWFALL WARNING FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL ALBERTA.
COLD WARNINGS FOR PARTS OF THE NORTHERN PRAIRIES AND SOUTHERN NT.
BLIZZARD WARNING NT ARCTIC COAST. FREEZING RAIN WARNING FOR SW SK.

SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, AN UPPER LOW IS JUST WEST OF HAIDA GWAII
WITH A DIGGING TROUGH SOUTHWESTWARD OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC. SLIGHT
RIDGING EXISTS OVER THE SOUTHERN PRAIRIES WITH A SHORTWAVE EMBEDDED
IN THE FLOW OVER NORTHERN ONTARIO. THE POLAR VORTEX IS OVER FOXE
BASIN, WITH BROAD CYCLONIC CIRCULATION OVER NUNAVUT.

AT THE SURFACE, A 1046 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTRE IS OVER THE YUKON WITH
A RIDGE AXIS SLUMPING SOUTHWARD THROUGH NORTHERN AB AND SK WHICH THEN
MEETS UP WITH A 1030 MB HIGH EAST OF LAKE SUPERIOR. 1000 MB LOW NORTH
OF ALASKA. A 994 MB LOW IS OVER FOXE BASIN.

DISCUSSION...

WESTERN PRAIRIES...WIND CHILL VALUES WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER BETWEEN
MINUS 40 AND 45 OVER NORTHERN REGIONS FOR ANOTHER DAY.

WARM AIR ADVECTION ALOFT OVER ARCTIC SURFACE RIDGE WILL BRING SNOW TO
ALBERTA TODAY. SNOW ALONG UPPER WARM FRONT WILL INTENSIFY THIS
MORNING AND MOVE NORTHWARDS DURING THE DAY AND EVENING. HIGHEST
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 15 CM. IMPACTS WITH THIS SNOW
COULD BE GREATER TODAY WITH PEOPLE TRAVELLING FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
THE WARM AIR ADVECTION MENTIONED ABOVE WILL LEAD TO A PRONOUNCED AFL.
COMBINED WITH A SHORT WAVE TROUGH THAT CLIPS THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST
CORNER OF THE PROVINCE OVERNIGHT, THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME ICE
PELLETS AND FREEZING RAIN.

IN THE MOUNTAIN PARKS, A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF PACIFIC MOISTURE WILL
BRING HEAVY SNOW TODAY AND TONIGHT. TOTALS MAY EXCEED 20 CM BY LATE
EVENING.

EASTERN PRAIRIES...THE NEXT IMPULSE TO IMPACT THE PRAIRIES WILL BRING
SNOW TO WEST-CENTRAL SK STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AND SPREAD TO THE
NORTHERN GRAIN BELT TONIGHT INTO CHRISTMAS MORNING. GENERAL AMOUNTS
OF 5 TO 10 CM ARE FORECAST WITH THIS SYSTEM.

SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL THEN SPREAD INTO CENTRAL MB
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING WITH SNOW CONTINUING UNTIL FRIDAY MORNING.
SNOWFALL WILL BLOSSOM OVER THE AREA AS ANOTHER IMPULSE FOLLOWING
QUICKLY BEHIND PROVIDES ENHANCED LIFT OVER THE REGION. AS WITH THE
PREVIOUS SYSTEM, THERE IS BROAD VARIANCE WITH THE AMOUNTS PROGGED
WITH THIS SYSTEM, WITH 5 TO 15 CM POSSIBLE IN THE AREA.

ALONG WITH THE ENHANCED SNOW, THIS SECOND IMPULSE WILL BRING FREEZING
RAIN/ICE PELLETS TO SOUTHERN SK THURSDAY AND TO SOUTHERN MB THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. DUE TO THE ARCTIC RIDGE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE OVER THE
REGION THE PAST FEW DAYS, A COLD DOME OF AIR IS OVER THE AREA AND A
STRONG PUSH OF WARM AIR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DISPLACE THE COLD AIR AT
THE SURFACE. IN SUPPORT OF THIS, PROG SOUNDINGS OVER THE REGION ARE
SHOWING A DEEP COLD LAYER AT THE SURFACE WITH AN ELEVATED, SHALLOW
ABOVE FREEZING LAYER. GIVEN THIS FACT, ICE PELLETS ARE MORE LIKELY
THAN FREEZING RAIN, SAVE FOR EXTREME SW SK, THAT HAS STAYED IN MILDER
AIR, AND IS LIKELY TO GET FREEZING RAIN BEGINNING OVERNIGHT.
A FREEZING RAIN WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED, AND MAY BE EXPANDED LATER
THIS AFTERNOON.

WESTERN ARCTIC...THE COLDEST WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE NT THIS MORNING
HAVE BEEN IN THE LIARD RIVER VALLEY. EXPECT ANOTHER NIGHT OF CLEAR
AND COLD CONDITIONS IN THE AREA TONIGHT.

LOW APPROACHING THE BEAUFORT SEA FROM THE WEST. AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM,
DOWNSLOPE WINDS HAVE WEAKENED BELOW WARNING CRITERIA IN PAULATUK BUT
SUSTAINED WINDS IN THE 40-50 KM/H RANGE ARE LIKELY STILL BRINGING
POOR VISIBLITY IN BLOWING SNOW. CONDITIONS THERE ARE EXPECTED TO
IMPROVE BY THIS EVENING. VISIBILITY HAS ALSO DROPPED PRECIPITOUSLY
IN TUKTOYAKTUK THIS MORNING AS SNOW MOVED ONSHORE, WITH BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL GIVE STRONG
WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW TO THE COAST THROUGH THURSDAY.

EASTERN ARCTIC...THE PERSISTENT WESTERLY GRADIENT OVER SOUTHERN
KIVALLIQ CONTINUES AS THE LOW OVER FOXE BASIN TRUNDLES AROUND THE
AREA AND THE RIDGE OVER THE PRAIRIES REMAINS ANCHORED OVER THE
REGION. BLOWING SNOW FOR COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHERN KIVALLIQ IMPROVED
OVERNIGHT AS THE FOXE BASIN LOW WEAKENED SLIGHTLY. HOWEVER, THE
GRADIENT WILL BE REINFORCED TODAY AS THE PRAIRIE RIDGE SLIDES
SOUTHEASTWARD, TIGHTENING UP THE GRADIENT ONCE AGAIN. BLOWING SNOW IS
FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT FOR SOUTHERN KIVALLIQ. IMPROVEMENT
WILL BEGIN IN EARNEST ON THURSDAY, WHEN THE HIGH SLIDES INTO ONTARIO.

OVER KIMMIRUT, WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ONSHORE CREATING A CONTINUED
RISK OF SNOW SQUALLS FOR THE COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

END/FULTON/STAUNTON