Calgary in the running for snowiest March on record
Just when you thought winter was over, a major snowfall record is on the brink of falling in southern Alberta
Although this winter certainly won't go down as one of the more impactful ones in terms of heavy snow and storms, the season did try to make up for lost time very late in the game across southern Alberta.
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A major pattern change, which saw much cooler temperatures funnel in, supported a recent multi-day snowfall event that brought over 30 cm of snow to the region. That, along with other late season blasts of snow, now puts the city of Calgary in the running for the snowiest March on record, breaking the previous one set back in 1998 when 70.3 cm fell.
Can that record be broken with just under a week left of the month? The ingredients support it.
"We will have chances to inch closer and closer to the record in the coming days," says Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. "While there aren't any major systems in sight to confidently bring the 8+ cm needed, we'll have to rely on localized snow bands."
In the short range, a weak clipper may bring in some flurries, but how far south they travel is uncertain at this time.
For the final days of March, another push of Pacific moisture may spread snow across the foothills, though with little confidence in how far east the snow falls, and piles up, once again.
With colder air in place, and an unsettled weather pattern, the chances for snow are definitely there leading into April.
A lack of strong storm signals however, are what limits the certainty for the record-breaking 8 cm that's needed. It will have to be a close "watch and see" scenario.
In contrast, Edmonton has interestingly only seen 13 cm of snow so far this year, so records certainly won't be beaten there.
Fair and above seasonal conditions return as we head into next week.
