At full maturity a Clipper's cold winds may reach 65 km/h (40 mph) with gusts to 100 km/h (62 mph). Although the amount of snowfall may be small, these strong, frigid winds produce severe blowing and drifting of any snow on the ground, thus causing true blizzard conditions along the storm's track.
When an Alberta Clipper passes, it often ushers in bitter outbreaks of polar air, which continue the storm's wrath for days after the low itself has moved off. Combine strong northerly winds and bitterly cold temperatures in the storm's wake, and you get severe ground blizzards, days of white-outs (severe blowing and drifting snow that reduce near-surface visibility to zero), and dangerous windchill factors.
When Alberta Clippers moving across the Great Lakes bringing frigid, gusty northwest winds in their wake, major lake-effect snowfalls strike the lee shores, often bringing heavy snow to the region. Occasionally, an Alberta Clipper crosses the Appalachians heading southward and becomes re-energized by warm Atlantic coastal waters to be reborn a Nor'easter.
Copyright 2003, Keith C. Heidorn, All Rights Reserved. (Illustrations, unless otherwise specified, ©Keith C. Heidorn, All Rights Reserved.)
