Sneaky, late-April snow could catch B.C., Alberta drivers off guard

Just when you thought the snow was finished in Western Canada, as we near the start of May, then a new system comes along with a shot of cooler air.

An upper trough is swinging in from the Gulf of Alaska will bring in some chilly and snowy conditions to parts of the West to start the week, lingering over southern Alberta on Tuesday.

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While total accumulations are up in the air at this point, there will be snow, and it will likely cause travel problems for Alberta centres such as Calgary by mid-week.

With unusually low freezing levels for late April, the snow will have complications for some high-elevation travel across B.C., too.

Monday evening to Tuesday morning: Temperature divide sees wet snow on backside

A deepening low-pressure system near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border will allow wraparound wet snow to fall across portions of the former.

Meanwhile, ahead of the low pressure in Saskatchewan, the province will see temperatures push close to 20 C on Monday afternoon.

Residents in Alberta can expect localized snowfall accumulation and slower travel conditions, but there is a low confidence on the total accumulations and where the axis of the heaviest snow will fall, as temperatures will be hovering a couple degrees above the freezing mark.

Tuesday night to Wednesday: Highest chance of accumulations for Calgary

The low-pressure centre will remain stalled across Saskatchewan, keeping Alberta in a chilly, northerly flow. That will enhance the risk for localized, heavy, wet snow across central and southern portions of the province.

As a result, the greatest threat for accumulating snowfall in the Calgary, Alta., develops Tuesday night as cold air wraps in behind the low.

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Combined with heavy precipitation rates, it’s likely that Calgary will experience bursts of wet snowfall through Wednesday.

By Wednesday evening, the snowfall threat will have diminished across Alberta with the stubborn departure of the low-pressure system.

Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across B.C. and Alberta.