Up to 40 cm of late-April snow, travel hazards bear down on Alberta

Cooler air and moisture arriving in Western Canada will bring accumulating snows to parts of the province as we round out April and head into May.

An upper-level trough swinging in from the Gulf of Alaska will bring chilly and snowy conditions to Alberta as we close out the month.

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While total accumulations are up in the air at this point, it’s clear that snow will likely cause travel problems for sections of Alberta by mid-week, including Calgary.

A deepening low-pressure system over the Alberta-Saskatchewan border will allow wraparound wet snow to fall across portions of Alberta Monday night, which has prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue a special weather statement along the foothills and a snowfall warning in the mountains.

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Tuesday night to Wednesday: Highest chance of accumulations for Calgary

The centre of low pressure will remain stalled across Saskatchewan, locking in the chilly north flow over Alberta. This will enhance the risk for localized heavy, wet snow around central and southern portions of the foothills.

Accumulations away from the foothills will remain fairly limited, but along them and into the mountains could see between 20-40 cm of snow.

As a result, the greatest threat for accumulating snowfall in the Calgary area 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.

For folks annoyed at this springtime snowfall, it's important to remember that snow in April and May are normal for the province and that they are actually some of the snowiest months. In fact, the top five largest snowfalls in Calgary took place in April and May.

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