Extreme cold, deep snow for Western Canada as East braces for ice, freezing rain

Most of Canada is under warnings from Environment Canada on Tuesday, principally due to two weather systems.

A messy winter snow and ice storm is heading toward Ontario, with most of the Prairies and northern parts of Canada under extreme cold and winter storm warnings.

A double-barreled storm, fuelled by an “Alberta Clipper” and then a “Colorado low,” is expected to bring high ice accumulation totals to the southern half of Ontario and higher snow totals to the northeast.

The Alberta Clipper, a low-pressure storm system that moves from the west, will impact northern Ontario communities overnight on Tuesday.

The system from Colorado brings low-pressure Wednesday evening, to the southern half of the province with snow and freezing rain expected.

As the two systems head to Eastern Canada, many provinces including B.C. and the Prairies are buried under snow and subject to extreme cold warnings issued by Environment Canada.

ONTARIO, QUEBEC

Parts of northern Ontario are under extreme cold warnings, including areas such as Attawapiskat, Fort Severn and Sioux Lookout, where the temperature is expected to feel like -40 degrees Celsius with wind chill.

The Greater Sudbury Area and Sault Ste. Marie are under weather advisories on Tuesday, with snow from the Alberta Clipper forecast to taper off throughout the day.

“The Alberta Clipper continues to move eastward and bringing it this passing snow through eastern Ontario, southern Quebec right as you head into the afternoon and evening (Tuesday),” CTV’s Your Morning meteorologist Kelsey McEwen said on Tuesday. “Be prepared to commute home through that today.”

As of Tuesday morning, southern Ontario is under a winter storm watch as the Colorado low is expected to come through the southern half of the province by Wednesday evening.

“We also will see this high impact storm that prompts a number of communities to be dealing with not only snow, but also freezing rain and ice pellets that have prompted special weather statements for communities right along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay,” McEwen said.

From Windsor to Ottawa, Environment Canada has issued watches for snow, ice pellets and freezing rain, warning of utility outages.

As the system moves eastward towards Ottawa and Quebec, the freezing rain is expected to turn into snow.

Due to uncertainty over the exact timing and location of the storm, Environment Canada has not released how much snow is expected to fall.

Regions including Grey-Bruce, Haliburton, Muskoka and eastern Ontario are expected to see snow.

By Thursday, McEwen said temperatures across parts of Ontario are set to increase.

“Temperature-wise over the next three days you’re gonna see a lot happen in Ontario, particularly for the far southwest you see a big jump in temperatures on Thursday,” she said.

As of Tuesday morning, Quebec is not under any winter storm watches despite the storm likely to make its way eastward bringing messy conditions to the province.

Parts of Quebec are under extreme cold warnings with wind chill values ranging from -38 to -45 degrees Celsius over the next “few nights and mornings through Saturday morning,” according to the Environment Canada website.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

On the West Coast, “winter is not over,” said Armel Castellan, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada said to CTV News Vancouver as the agency issued winter storm warnings across the B.C. interior.

The Pacific frontal system is expected to bring snow accumulation of 20 to 25 centimetres to the Fraser Valley, Okanagan Valley, East Columbia, and Fraser Canyon.

The storm is expected to taper off by Tuesday afternoon, but “light snow will continue through tonight,” the Environment Canada website reads.

Environment Canada urged residents to postpone non-essential travel along all highway mountain passes in the area.

PRAIRIES

Most of Alberta is under winter storm and snowfall warnings from Environment Canada, as Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba brace for extended periods of extreme cold.

Southern Alberta is expected to receive up to 40 centimetres of snow by Tuesday morning. The system will continue to blanket the province into Tuesday with Calgary expecting 15 to 30-centimetre snow totals.

“The bulk of the snowfall has already arrived,” McEwen said. “However, you’re going to see lingering flurries into the afternoon, by evening most of that snow has stopped.”

Northern areas of Alberta have been issued extreme cold warnings for temperatures dropping below -40 degrees celsius. The extreme wind chill could be “moderate” during the day and is expected to continue throughout this week.

The northern half of Saskatchewan in the Hudson Bay area, Prince Albert region, and Melfort area are under extreme cold warnings on Tuesday.

According to Environment Canada, a “multi-day episode” of cold wind chills is expected with temperatures in the -30 degrees Celsius range. A 10 to 15 kilometres per hour wind could bring temperatures lower over the central parts of the province to around -40 degrees Celsius.

The area of Shaunavon, Maple Creek, Val Marie and Cypress Hills, Sask., are under a winter storm warning on Tuesday, due to a low-pressure system over Montana.

Strong northeast wind gusts of 60 kilometres per hour are expected Tuesday morning, along with an additional 2 to 4 centimetres of snow.

In Manitoba, North of Lake Winnipeg all communities are under an extreme cold warning from Environment Canada.

Wind chill values are expected to bring temperatures as cold as -50 and -55 degrees Celsius over the next several days.

“Dress warmly. Dress in layers that you can remove if you get too warm. The outer layer should be wind resistant,” the Environment Canada website says.

ATLANTIC PROVINCES

On Tuesday morning, Environment Canada has not issued any winter storm warnings or watches for the Colorado low system.

“We’ll hang on to rain a little bit longer,” McEwen said. “Because it’s clearing west to east, you get a little skip of snow, passing briefly across the southwest coast of Nova Scotia. But for the most part, this stays offshore and then slowly meanders its way up towards Newfoundland arriving through Wednesday.”

Rainfall warnings are in effect for the Avalon Peninsula, Burin Peninsula, and Bonavista Peninsula in Newfoundland.

Extreme cold warnings are in effect for Labrador City and Churchill Falls in Labrador with wind chills expected to be as low as -45 degrees Celsius.

TERRITORIES

The Yellowknife Region in the Northwest Territories is expecting temperatures to be around -50 degrees Celsius prompting Environment Canada to issue an extreme cold warning.

Parts of Nunavut are also under extreme cold warnings with Iqaluit, Igloolik and Baker Lake forecast to reach temperatures as low as -65 degrees Celsius.