By Taylor Chartrand

Snowfall blankets the Hat overnight

Nov 24, 2018 | 8:58 AM

Medicine Hat, AB – Depending on when you went to bed last night, you may have woken up to a little surprise this morning.

Medicine Hat was covered with a bit of snow overnight, which made it feel more like the holiday season we expect for this time of year.

With an explanation on why the region went from dry to snow covered, here’s Environment Canada Meteorologist Amanda Prysizney.

“For portions of southern Alberta yesterday afternoon into the evening, some fairly narrow bands of snow developed over the region. It was associated with an upper-level disturbance in combination with a surface front that was draped over the province from the northwest to the southeast. When that happens, it’s usually a good setup for banded snowfall amounts.”

And that is exactly what southern Alberta saw. A wide range of more intense snowfall amounts.

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“Some areas like Calgary did see upwards of 15 centimeters (cm) overnight. Regions west into the mountains only saw about 3 cm. Red Deer 6 cm, Brooks 10 cm and the Medicine Hat airport recorded about 2 cm.”

Prysizney added that depending on where you were in the Hat this morning, you may have saw upwards of 5 cm.

Thankfully, Prysizney says there is a reprieve coming.

“There’s a little bit of light snow remaining, but the bulk of the snow associated with the system has already happened. The weather system that brought the snow is moving to the south and weakening. That should lead to clear skies and improving conditions throughout the day for most of the province.”

That doesn’t mean you should revert back to your summer driving habits though.

“In the mean time, roads are expected to be snow or ice covered as temperatures are below zero. People should take extra care on the roads as they are now slippery and will continue to be that way for most of the weekend.”

Looking ahead to the early part of next week, it seems as though things will begin to gradually warm up again.

“It’s associated with an upper-level ridge of high pressure moving into the region. That just means a westerly flow, drying out pattern and clearing of clouds. More milder temperatures.”

Prysizney explained that the temperatures for this time of year are right around seasonal. As things begin to heat up early next week, the region should be a couple degrees warmer than normal for this late in November. 

The weather expert Prysizney then finished by saying this:

“Just be aware of the snow and ice on the roads and sidewalks. Conditions can change drastically. You might get on the roads and think it’s alright, but there are potentially patches of ice out there. Hopefully the plows are out and busy.”

Taking a peak at the 5-1-1 Alberta Road Reports, things look relatively good around Medicine Hat. In and out of the city in all directions are reporting roads that are partially snow covered. Be sure if you’re hitting the roads today to check out the current conditions here.