The Edmonton refinery snowfall event of January 20, 2016



What happened

Late in the evening of January 19 and through the night of January 20, 2016, a very localized heavy snowfall occurred over parts of east-central Edmonton. While most of the city got less than 1 cm, a very small area got 15 to 20 cm of fluffy snow. The cause? Cloud condensation nuclei and copious moisture from the exhaust stacks at refineries in the area. Snowfall being caused and enhanced by these refineries is a somewhat common occurrence; however, this amount of snowfall is not usual. The meteorological information from this event is presented here.

RADAR images

Satellite images

Soundings



Pictures from the event





Observations from the event -- here's Namao, the nearest station with visibility

CYED 200000Z 05005KT 6SM -SN BR OVC005 -12.5/-13.7 A2982 RMK ST7 DA-471FT SLP155 51001 SKY9X=
CYED 200013Z 04005KT 5SM -SN BR OVC004 -12.6/-13.8 A2983 RMK ST8 DA-496FT SKYXX=
CYED 200037Z AUTO 05008KT 5SM OVC006 M13/M14 A2983=
CYED 200041Z 05006KT 5SM -SN BR OVC005 -12.7/-14.0 A2983 RMK ST8 DA-510FT SKYXX=
CYED 200049Z AUTO 06005KT 2 1/2SM OVC006 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200054Z AUTO 06004KT 1 1/4SM OVC006 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200100Z 06005KT 3SM -SN BR OVC005 -12.7/-13.9 A2984 RMK ST8 DA-521FT SLP159 SKYXX=
CYED 200105Z 06005KT 1SM -SN BR SCT003 OVC006 -12.7/-14.0 A2984 RMK ST3ST5 DA-521FT SKYXX=
CYED 200106Z AUTO 06006KT 1 1/4SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200112Z AUTO 07006KT 1SM SCT002 OVC007 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200116Z AUTO 07007KT 1SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200121Z 06008KT 1SM -SN BR BKN002 OVC006 -12.8/-14.1 A2984 RMK ST6ST1 DA-535FT MOON DIMLY VISBL SKY9X=
CYED 200126Z AUTO 07007KT 3SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200134Z 07005KT 4SM -SN BR BKN003 OVC006 -12.8/-14.1 A2984 RMK ST6ST2 DA-535FT MOON DIMLY VISBL SKY9X=
CYED 200200Z 07005KT 4SM -SN BR BKN003 OVC010 -12.9/-14.1 A2984 RMK ST6ST2 DA-548FT MOON DIMLY VISBL SLP162 SKY9X=
CYED 200207Z AUTO 08006KT 4SM OVC003 OVC009 M13/M14 A2984=
CYED 200219Z AUTO 09004KT 4SM OVC004 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG=
CYED 200237Z AUTO 08005KT 4SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG=
CYED 200244Z AUTO 08005KT 3SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG=
CYED 200245Z AUTO 08005KT 2 1/2SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2985 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.2V4.0 ICG=
CYED 200300Z 09004KT 2SM -SN BR OVC002 -12.8/-14.1 A2985 RMK ST8 DA-546FT LAST STFD OBS/NEXT 202200 UTC SLP165 52008 SKYXX=
CYED 200301Z AUTO 09005KT 2SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG=
CYED 200302Z AUTO 09005KT 1 1/2SM VV001 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200303Z AUTO 10005KT 1 1/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200306Z AUTO 09004KT 3/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200307Z AUTO 09004KT 5/8SM VV001 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200311Z AUTO 08005KT 3/8SM VV001 M13/M14 A2985 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200327Z AUTO 10005KT 1/8SM VV001 M13/M14 A2986 RMK ICG INTMT=
CYED 200400Z AUTO 08004KT 1/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG INTMT SLP169=
CYED 200406Z AUTO 09003KT 3/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2986 RMK ICG=
CYED 200409Z AUTO 09004KT 3/4SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2986 RMK ICG=
CYED 200410Z AUTO 08004KT 1 5/8SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2986 RMK ICG=
CYED 200426Z AUTO 10003KT 1 1/2SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200427Z AUTO 10003KT 1SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200428Z AUTO 11004KT 3/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200429Z AUTO 11004KT 5/8SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200434Z AUTO 10002KT 3/8SM VV001 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200500Z AUTO 07004KT 1/4SM VV001 M12/M14 A2987 RMK ICG INTMT SLP170=
CYED 200508Z AUTO 09003KT 1/8SM VV001 M12/M14 A2987 RMK ICG INTMT=
CYED 200538Z AUTO 04004KT 1/8SM OVC006 M12/M14 A2987 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.2V6.0 ICG=
CYED 200539Z AUTO 05004KT 1/2SM OVC006 M12/M14 A2987 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.2V7.0 ICG=
CYED 200542Z AUTO 05005KT 1 1/4SM -FZDZ OVC006 M12/M14 A2987 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.4V9.0 ICG=
CYED 200544Z AUTO 06005KT 3SM -FZDZ OVC006 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200545Z AUTO 06005KT 5SM OVC006 M13/M14 A2987 RMK ICG=
CYED 200600Z AUTO 06002KT 8SM OVC008 M13/M14 A2988 RMK ICG SLP172=
CYED 200624Z AUTO 07003KT 9SM OVC004 M13/M14 A2988 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200632Z AUTO 08004KT 7SM OVC003 M12/M14 A2988 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200644Z AUTO 08003KT 6SM OVC002 M12/M14 A2988 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200652Z AUTO 09003KT 4SM OVC001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200655Z AUTO 09003KT 2 1/4SM VV001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.3V6.0 ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200658Z AUTO 08002KT 1 1/4SM VV001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.7V6.0 ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200700Z AUTO 08003KT 1SM VV001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK ICG PAST HR SLP174=
CYED 200702Z AUTO 07003KT 3/4SM VV001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200710Z AUTO 06002KT 1 1/2SM VV001 M12/M14 A2989 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.6V7.0 ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200712Z AUTO 06002KT 2 1/2SM OVC003 M12/M14 A2989 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.8V7.0 ICG PAST HR=
CYED 200722Z AUTO 05003KT 6SM OVC003 M12/M14 A2989=
CYED 200732Z AUTO 05004KT 6SM OVC004 M12/M14 A2989=
CYED 200733Z AUTO 05004KT 6SM OVC005 M13/M14 A2989=
CYED 200757Z AUTO 07003KT 3SM BKN002 OVC007 M13/M14 A2990=
CYED 200800Z AUTO 07003KT 2 1/2SM FEW002 OVC005 M13/M14 A2990 RMK SLP177=
CYED 200805Z AUTO 07003KT 2 1/2SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2990 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.7V8.0=
CYED 200807Z AUTO 07003KT 2 1/2SM FEW002 OVC006 M13/M14 A2990 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.7V9.+=
CYED 200812Z AUTO 08002KT 2 1/2SM OVC004 M13/M14 A2991 RMK VSBY VRBL 2.5V9.+=
CYED 200816Z AUTO 09003KT 9SM OVC004 M13/M14 A2991=
CYED 200839Z AUTO 05004KT 8SM OVC003 OVC014 M13/M14 A2991=
CYED 200848Z AUTO 07003KT 3SM OVC002 OVC014 M13/M14 A2992=
CYED 200849Z AUTO 07003KT 2 1/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2992 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.7V9.0=
CYED 200852Z AUTO 06002KT 1 1/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2992 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.7V8.0=
CYED 200857Z AUTO 05003KT 3/4SM VV001 M13/M14 A2992=
CYED 200900Z AUTO 05004KT 3/4SM VV001 M12/M14 A2991 RMK SLP182=
CYED 200901Z AUTO 05004KT 5/8SM VV001 M12/M14 A2991=
CYED 200906Z AUTO 05004KT 3/8SM VV001 M12/M14 A2991=
CYED 200916Z AUTO 05003KT 3/4SM OVC001 M13/M14 A2992 RMK ICG=
CYED 200919Z AUTO 05003KT 3/4SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2992 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.6V8.0 ICG=
CYED 200920Z AUTO 05003KT 1 1/2SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2992 RMK VSBY VRBL 0.6V9.+ ICG=
CYED 200932Z AUTO 06004KT 9SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2992 RMK ICG=
CYED 200943Z AUTO 06004KT 3SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2993 RMK ICG=
CYED 200945Z AUTO 06004KT 2 1/2SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2993 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.3V9.0 ICG=
CYED 201000Z AUTO 05005KT 1 5/8SM OVC002 M13/M14 A2993 RMK ICG SLP188=
CYED 201009Z AUTO 05005KT 2 1/2SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2994 RMK VSBY VRBL 1.8V4.0 ICG=
CYED 201024Z AUTO 05004KT 5SM OVC003 M13/M14 A2994 RMK ICG=
CYED 201025Z AUTO 05004KT 6SM OVC005 M13/M14 A2994 RMK ICG=
CYED 201100Z AUTO 03005KT 9SM OVC006 M13/M14 A2995 RMK ICG PAST HR SLP195=
CYED 201131Z AUTO 05004KT 8SM OVC004 M13/M15 A2996 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 201141Z AUTO 04005KT 8SM OVC005 M13/M15 A2997 RMK ICG PAST HR=
CYED 201200Z AUTO 04006KT 9SM OVC005 M14/M15 A2997 RMK SLP200=
CYED 201227Z AUTO 06004KT 9SM OVC004 M14/M15 A2998=
CYED 201243Z AUTO 06004KT 9SM OVC005 M14/M15 A2998=
CYED 201245Z AUTO 06004KT 9SM OVC004 M14/M15 A2998=
CYED 201253Z AUTO 06004KT 9SM OVC003 M14/M15 A2998=
CYED 201300Z AUTO 05004KT 7SM OVC003 M14/M15 A2998 RMK SLP206=


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Last update to this page: January 20, 2016