New storm brings another helping of heavy snow to Canadian Rockies

It will be feeling more like winter across the Canadian Rockies this weekend, as AccuWeather meteorologists forecast the coldest air since April in the wake of multiple rounds of snow.

While the bulk of the snowfall will move into the northern tier of the United States with this storm, gusty winds and a rush of arctic air will follow, making it feel much cooler across much of the region this weekend.

Parts of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan will be stuck below zero C (32 F) for high temperatures during the weekend, with mountainous regions expecting temperatures as low as minus 18 C (zero F) by Sunday night.

A mountain range inside Banff National Park is seen in the early morning in Lake Louise, Alberta December 2, 2010. The national park, Canada's oldest, is situated in the Rocky Mountains. (REUTERS/Andy Clark)

AccuWeather meteorologists forecast that Calgary will struggle to reach zero C (32 F) in the afternoons this weekend, with overnight low temperatures near minus 10 C (14 F). Those temperatures are more common in the months of December or January.

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Late-season cold shots last spring suppressed temperatures in Calgary, with highs being held well below zero degrees Celsius (32 F) for several days this past April. The latest of these dates was April 12, when the city's temperature topped out at only 2 below zero C (28 F).

This plunge of cold will trickle farther to the southeast, allow for both cold and snow in the northern tier of the United States this weekend and into next week.

As the colder air holds over the region, additional rounds of lighter snow are forecast to dive across western Canada into early next week. Several weaker storms are likely to move into the area, and while forecasters say they will be less impactful, the storms could still bring some fresh blankets of snow, especially to the higher elevations like Jasper and Banff national parks.

This storm came crashing into the central British Columbia coast late Thursday night, began to spread wet weather across the province Friday night.

Once again, snow targeted eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, and also spilled southeastward into cities such as Calgary and into the northern U.S., reaching cities such as Great Falls, Montana.

As of Saturday morning, local time, 5 cm (2 inches) of snow was reported in Calgary, while 3 cm (1 inch) of snow accumulated in Edmonton.

Higher snowfall amounts were reserved for the Canadian Rockies, especially into the highest peaks.

The snow will continue to dive southeastward through the interior Northwest and northern Plains of the United States into Saturday afternoon. A few centimeters (or a couple of inches) will be possible in this area.

The first winter storm crashed through western Canada early this week, bringing heavy rain to the coast of British Columbia and spreading snow across the inland mountainous terrain of British Columbia and Alberta.

Jasper National Park in western Alberta's Rocky Mountains received some of highest snowfall totals with an accumulation around 20 cm (7.9 inches) by Wednesday afternoon.

Alberta's 511 transportation website reported the official seasonal closure of several roadways surrounding Jasper National Park on Tuesday, one of the first signs of winter returning to the region.

Widespread reports of 10-20 cm (about 4-8 inches) of snow were reported across the higher peaks of the Canadian Rockies, but even in the lower elevations, a few centimeters fell. Calgary reported about 5 cm (2 inches) of snow with the storm, the first significant winterlike storm of the season for the region.

Another storm is set to bring additional snowfall to the region through the weekend.

AccuWeather released its comprehensive Canada Winter Forecast for the 2020-2021 season on Wednesday.

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