UPDATED WEATHER ALERT: Alberta Clipper + Texas Low = ‘significant’ snow storm Thursday night into Friday

Bullet News

NIAGARA – Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Niagara and much of Southern Ontario in advance of a ‘significant’ snowfall event expected to begin Thursday evening into Friday.

The following is the text of the statement issued Wednesday morning by Environment Canada’s Weather Office:

* * *

Significant snowstorm threatening Thursday night and Friday.

An Alberta clipper currently tracking southeastward through the Dakotas is expected to track across the us midwest tonight and Thursday then track just south of Lake Erie on Friday. This clipper may intensify into a winter storm as it approaches Southern Ontario.

Snow ahead of this clipper will start spreading into Southern Ontario from Michigan and Lake Huron on Thursday with perhaps a couple cm of snow by Thursday evening in a swath of regions extending from Lake Huron to Western Lake Ontario.

As the clipper gets closer, latest indications suggest it will intensify Thursday night, with an expanding area of heavy snow expected to move into most of southern and parts of Eastern Ontario. Some freezing rain and ice pellets are possible over the extreme southwest.

Snow, heavy at times is expected to continue well into Friday as the strong clipper sails by just south of the Great Lakes.

Many parts of Southern and Eastern Ontario may receive 15 cm of snow from this storm by Friday evening. Some areas may receive higher amounts, with 25 cm not out of the question. This will depend on the exact track and intensity of this low, and enhancement in the cold easterly flow off of Lake Ontario for example. Total snow amounts may be somewhat lower over the extreme southwest due to some freezing rain and ice pellets.

Brisk easterly winds will also result in blowing snow in many areas Thursday night and Friday.

Travelling conditions will deteriorate and become hazardous in the snow and blowing snow Thursday night and Friday. There may be a significant impact on the commute to work on Friday morning and possibly Friday afternoon in heavy snow and blowing snow.

There is still some uncertainty as to the exact track and intensity of the low, which will affect where the heaviest snow falls. However the many of latest computer models have continued to suggest a more intense version of this winter storm is possible.

Environment Canada is closely monitoring this situation. The winter storm watch may be expanded further to the northeast as the event draws closer. Warnings may also be issued for many regions as well.

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Written by on February 6, 2013 in Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, News Now, Niagara Bullets, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-lake, Pelham, Port Colborne, St Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Weather, Welland, West Lincoln - 1 Comment

One Comment on "UPDATED WEATHER ALERT: Alberta Clipper + Texas Low = ‘significant’ snow storm Thursday night into Friday"

  1. Hennie fiander February 7, 2013 at 5:34 pm · Reply

    I hope that I can still drive in the morning

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About the Author

John Robbins

John Robbins, an award-winning multimedia journalist, joined Bullet News as a staff writer in January 2011. He was named editor in April 2013. The veteran reporter worked in Niagara and Fort Erie for more than a decade, using his investigative skills in a wide range of beats, including local politics, health/environment, education, business and tourism. His writing has earned him six Ontario Newspaper Awards Robbins, born and raised in Niagara Falls, studied at Emmanuel Bible College and Brock University before graduating from the Journalism-Print program at Niagara College, where he earned several scholarships and awards. During his 11 years as a reporter at the Niagara Falls Review, Robbins, who was Fort Erie bureau chief from 2002-2006, was instrumental in bringing video and e-reporting skills into daily practice at the newspaper and helped build its web and social media audiences. In 2009, Robbins received an appointment to journalism-print advisory committee at Niagara College. Robbins lives in Ridgeway.