These maps show how the pre-Christmas storm is sweeping across Canada
The extent of the storm that has hit the Canadian Central Plains

Western Canadians, who have been enjoying unusually warm temperatures in recent days, are now facing a sudden and serious change in weather conditions.

A system called the Alberta Clipper is moving in, bringing very heavy snowfall to the Canadian Central Plains and parts of northern Ontario, before a wave of very cold arctic air will enter the region.

The winter storm will hit Alberta on Wednesday, bringing heavy snow and strong winds. At the same time, a storm warning has been issued for Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba is also facing several weather warnings, including blizzards.

Parts of southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba will experience blizzard conditions starting Wednesday morning, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), which could make travel “hazardous or even impossible” as visibility drops to near zero.

Regina and other parts of Saskatchewan are also expected to see freezing rain before turning to snow, which could increase the risk of slippery roads and accidents.

Snow accumulation maps for the next three days show a broad band of precipitation starting in the central plains and extending across northern Ontario and into Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The ECCC forecast also shows that large parts of the country will quickly enter a period of severe cold. Temperatures in Regina are expected to drop to -23 degrees Celsius on Wednesday evening, while in Winnipeg, it will drop to -19 degrees.

The Federal Weather Service has issued a severe cold warning for parts of the northern Central Plains, as wind chills can drop temperatures to -45 degrees Celsius.

This map shows how the polar air is expected to move south over the next two days.

The ECCC has issued several severe weather warnings in response to the weather. The agency issued yellow and orange warnings for most of Manitoba and Saskatchewan on Tuesday.

Meteorological Canada has recently changed its warning system to a color-coded system:
Yellow warnings are for common, localized weather events, orange indicates severe, widespread and unusual conditions, and red indicates extremely dangerous and rare events with severe and long-lasting effects.

And a reminder: Winter officially begins on Sunday.

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