Alberta Clippers are low pressure systems that originate in the Canadian Province of Alberta and rapidly drop southeastward across the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes region and Northeastern U.S. Due to their rapid movement, they are generally not associated with significant amounts of snow except for lake-effect squalls along the Great Lakes, high elevation snow down the spine of the Appalachians and coastal snow once the counter-clockwise winds of the storm pull in Atlantic moisture; these onshore winds may also lash the shoreline with powerful waves.
South and west of the low pressure center, strong north winds drag frigid, Arctic air southward. Last night, these backside winds shook the treetops and rattled windows here in central Missouri. By this morning, despite bright sunshine and calm conditions, the outside temperature was 15 degrees F.
Since these Clippers depart as rapidly as they arrive, warmer air soon moves in from the west. We expect afternoon highs near 60 degrees F this weekend.
