FOCN45 CWWG 061900

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER DISCUSSION ISSUED BY THE PRAIRIE AND ARCTIC STORM

PREDICTION CENTRE OF ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 2:00 PM CDT WEDNESDAY MAY

6 2026.



ALERTS IN EFFECT...WIND WARNINGS FOR SACHS HARBOUR, ULUKHAKTOK, AND

PANGNIRTUNG. AIR QUALITY WARNING FOR THE TOWNSITE OF JASPER.



SYNOPTIC OVERVIEW...ALOFT, A LOW IS OVER THE NORTHERN COAST OF

ALASKA WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA. A RIDGE IS

OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND EXTENDS NORTHWARD THROUGH BC AND

ALBERTA AND INTO THE CENTRAL ARCTIC. A LOW IS OVER NORTHERN QUEBEC

WITH A TROUGH THROUGH TO THE US GREAT PLAINS.



AT THE SURFACE, A 999 MB LOW IS LOCATED NEAR TUKTOYAKTUK WITH A

TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES INTO

WESTERN ALBERTA. HIGH PRESSURE IS OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC WITH A

RIDGE AXIS SOUTHWARD THROUGH SASKATCHEWAN. AN OCCLUDED LOW IS OVER

NORTHERN QUEBEC. A LOW IS OVER THE LABRADOR SEA.



DISCUSSION...



WESTERN PRAIRIES...RELATIVELY QUIET START TO THE DAY TODAY. A WEAK

TROUGH IS DEVELOPING OVER WEST-CENTRAL ALBERTA, AND WILL AID IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THE ODD THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE NORTHERN

FOOTHILLS. BASES ARE QUITE HIGH IN AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED, SO

STRONG WIND GUSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONVECTIVE SHOWERS/TS ARE

POSSIBLE. SHOWERS WILL MIGRATE SOUTHEASTWARDS TONIGHT.



IN THE JASPER TOWNSITE, A CONTROLLED BURN HAS BEEN CAUSING SOME POOR

AIR QUALITY IN THE AREA. CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN POOR IN THE OVERNIGHT

HOURS AS THE SURFACE INVERSION SETS UP AND TRAPS THE SMOKE WITHIN

THE INVERSION. CONDITIONS IMPROVE DURING THE DAY AS SURFACE HEATING

ALLOWS MIXING OUT OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. AS THE BURN HAS NOW BEEN

COMPLETED, THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY IF THE POOR AIR QUALITY WILL

RETURN TONIGHT. WITH SPOT FIRES STILL AROUND THE AREA, THE AIR

QUALITY WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SMOKE EXPECTED TO CAUSE POOR

CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT.



EASTERN PRAIRIES...DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE WESTERN RIDGE WILL

ADVECT EASTWARD TODAY, REDUCING ANY LIGHT SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN

AREAS THROUGH THE DAY.



OVER NORTHERN MANITOBA, INTERMITTENT LIGHT SNOW EMBEDDED IN

STRATOCUMULUS IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, AS THE

NORTHERN QUEBEC LOW RETROGRADES WESTWARD. ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED

TO BE MINIMAL.



NT...A LOW LOCATED NORTH OF TUKTOYAKTUK IS GENERATING STRONG WINDS

AND MULTIPLE PRECIPITATION TYPES ACROSS THE NORTHERN NT. WIND

WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ULUKHAKTOK AND SACHS HARBOUR, WHERE

WINDS OF 60-70 KM/H WITH GUSTS OF 90 KM/H ARE EITHER ALREADY

OCCURRING OR EXPECTED. THESE SAME TWO COMMUNITIES ARE ALSO FORECAST

TO SEE 2-5 CM OF SNOW TODAY WHICH, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE STRONG

WINDS, WILL GENERATE REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW. NEAR

BLIZZARD CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE FORECASTS INSTEAD OF

FULL ON BLIZZARDS FOR TWO REASONS - ONE, TEMPERATURES AT EACH SITE

WILL BE CLOSE TO 0C TODAY, MAKING SNOW CONDITIONS LESS CONDUCIVE TO

BE BLOWN ABOUT IN A NORMAL-TYPICAL BLIZZARD FASHION; AND TWO,

DURATION OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES MAY BE MARGINAL. THE SITUATION WILL

BE CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY.



TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COMMUNITIES, RAIN IS

FORECAST.



NUNAVUT...WAVES OF LIGHT SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE

TO AFFECT SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS AS THE

NORTHERN QUEBEC LOW SHIFTS WEST TOWARD HUDSON BAY, AND THE

LABRADOR COAST LOW LIFTS NORTH TOWARD BAFFIN ISLAND. A NORTH/SOUTH

BAND OF SNOW IS MOVING WESTWARD ACROSS SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND AND

NORTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND THIS MORNING; IT WILL WEAKEN AS IT PROGRESSES

AND TOWNSITE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE MINIMAL. A SECONDARY BAND IS

EXPECTED TO REACH SOUTHERN BAFFIN ISLAND TODAY WITH THE

LABRADOR COAST LOW. ACCUMULATIONS IN TOWNSITES SHOULD BE MINIMAL,

THOUGH HIGHER TERRAIN MAY SEE SOMEWHAT LARGER TOTALS.



WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW

COMPLEX. MOST TOWNSITES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE

THRESHOLDS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PANGNIRTUNG.



IN PANGNIRTUNG, A FAVOURABLE SETUP FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS HAS DEVELOPED

OVER THE COMMUNITY WITH A GUST TO 93 KM/H REPORTED WEDNESDAY

MORNING. STRONG EASTERLY WIND GUSTS OF 70 TO 80 KM/H WILL CONTINUE

THROUGH THE DAY, WITH SEVERE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 90 KM/H

EXPECTED AGAIN OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL EAST THURSDAY MORNING. A WIND

WARNING REMAINS OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.



FOR IQALUIT AND KIMMIRUT EASTERLY WINDS OF 40 GUSTING TO 60 KM/H

ARE MOST LIKELY, WITH A CHANCE OF ISOLATED GUSTS IN THE 70 TO 80

KM/H RANGE THROUGH THIS MORNING.



OVER NORTHERN KIVALLIQ AND KINNGAIT, NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO

70 KM/H WILL CONTINUE TODAY. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH LIGHT FALLING

SNOW WILL LEAD TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW BUT WARMER

TEMPERATURES WILL LIMIT THE RISK OF SIGNIFICANT BLOWING SNOW.



END/KOKOLSKY/MOODIE/PIMISKERN/GREENHOUGH