What Is An Alberta Clipper?

What Is An Alberta Clipper?

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An Alberta clipper is a fast-moving area of low pressure that moves southeast out of the Canadian Province of Alberta, through the Plains and Midwest.

While an Alberta clipper can occur anytime between October and March, they are most common in the winter months. They typically bring snow, strong winds and cold temperatures.

Once the Alberta clipper makes its way to the East Coast, the system is sometimes fueled by moisture off the Atlantic Ocean. This will cause the system to intensify rapidly and spread heavy snow across New England.

Alberta clippers can produce winds as strong as 60 mph. These gusty winds, combined with heavy snow, can cause blizzard conditions quickly in areas where snowfall is heaviest, or where a fluffy snowpack is already on the ground.

Areas impacted by Alberta clippers can see drastic temperature changes that can last days after the clipper has moved on. It’s not uncommon to see temperatures dip 30 degrees in as little as 12 hours. That frigid Canadian air that the Alberta clipper ushers in can lead to dangerously low wind chill temperatures and their quick shot of heavy snowfall can cause chaos for travelers.

Less than 10% of Alberta clipper systems track south of the Great Lakes. Because of this, they can’t tap into southerly moisture. The lack of moisture, and the speed of movement (Alberta clippers usually travel at speeds of 30-40 mph) these systems usually aren’t blockbuster snow producers. But not always.

La Niña has quite an impact on Alberta clippers. During a La Niña year, the jet stream dives southward across the Great Lakes. This allows for much colder air to flow southward, which can increase lake effect snow. When this occurs, the snow totals from an Alberta clipper can be substantially more.

(MORE: What Is Lake-Effect Snow? ​| What Is La Niña?)​

"If both the jet stream disturbance and cold front are strong, you can also have brief, heavy bursts known as snow squalls with Alberta clippers,” said Erdman. “These can sharply reduce visibility and quickly make roads slippery, making for hazardous driving conditions."

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There are two other variations to the Alberta clipper. The Saskatchewan screamer and the Manitoba mauler are both clipper systems as well. The only difference is the location from which they dive south. The Saskatchewan screamer begins its southward journey from Canada’s Saskatchewan Province, while the Manitoba mauler dives south from the province of Manitoba.

J​ennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.