What is an Alberta clipper?

Monica Danielle
·2-min read

Residents of the Midwest, Plains, Great Lakes and Northeast may have heard of the term "Alberta clipper" when a winter storm is rolling through the region, but what is the meteorology behind the term?

"Alberta clippers are fast-moving storm systems that travel southeastward out of central Canada into the Great Plains, Midwest and sometimes the East Coast," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

The name comes from the typical origin area of the storm, the province of Alberta, Canada, although clippers can form anywhere along the Canadian Rockies or prairies. From there, the storm usually rides a southward dip in the jet stream into the U.S., moving very quickly. The name "clipper" refers to speedy sailing ships used in the early 1800s to cross the Atlantic.

"These storms are most common in late fall and winter, and since they form at high latitudes, they often bring cold, polar air with them," said Sosnowski.

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Along with cold Canadian air from the north, clippers often produce gusty winds that cause AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to dive. In addition to being very cold, central Canada is often quite dry in the winter, with no bodies of water from which to pull moisture.

This aspect of the storms, combined with their fast-moving nature, allows Alberta clippers to produce generally light snow as they move through the United States, around 1-3 inches. However, there are places where clippers can fuel larger amounts of snow with the help of the Great Lakes.

"In the Great Lakes, Albert clippers often produce conditions that are favorable for lake-effect snow," Sosnowski said.

No two Alberta clippers are exactly alike, and the overall weather pattern plays a large role in the impacts of the storm.

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Depending on the precise weather pattern, clippers can reach the East Coast and transition into stronger coastal storms or even nor'easters," said Sosnowski, adding that this can lead to some of the Northeast's most intense winter weather.

For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.

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