It may only be mid-October, but the first signs of winter are slowly descending on the country. However, in the case of some communities in northern Canada, it is more like the signs of winter are making an appearance.

While residents of Eastern Canada will enjoy a pleasant fall weekend with temperatures reaching 20°C, we follow the country’s first blizzard warning of the year in the North.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a blizzard warning for Cambridge Bay, Kugaaruk, Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, warning people of rapidly deteriorating conditions until Friday.

“Wind gusts will be between 70 and 90 km/h on Friday,” ECCC said in its warning. “Total snowfall of 10 to 20 cm is possible by Saturday morning.”

This sudden burst of winter weather in Canada’s North is linked to the wavy jet stream that is responsible for reversing active weather across Canada as the weekend approaches.

The jet stream brought a low pressure system north of the Prairies, causing a prolonged period of blizzard conditions in the region.

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It also created a ridge of high pressure over eastern Canada, bringing an abundance of sunshine and warm temperatures.

Meanwhile, in western Canada, snowfall warnings have been issued along the British Columbia-Yukon border as cold Arctic air seeps south, causing temperatures to drop to between -15 and -20°C. Up to 15 to 25 cm of snow is expected in these areas over the weekend.

Southern British Columbia will also be hit with a deluge of rain over the weekend, as a high-impact atmospheric river brings more than 100 mm of rain to the region, including Metro Vancouver , thus increasing the risk of flooding and mudslides.

In 2023, Canada’s first blizzard warning of the season was issued for parts of the Yukon and Northwest Territories on October 8, during the Thanksgiving weekend. The blizzard also affected part of the Dempster Highway, a critical route for those living in the northern Yukon and Northwest Territories as it serves as a lifeline for transporting food, supplies and other vital services.

In November 2023, Nunavut was also subject to two consecutive blizzards, which brought wind gusts over 100 km/h that knocked out power to parts of the territory for several days.

Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on weather across Canada.

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