Alberta Clipper
noun
variants
or less commonly Alberta clipper
meteorology
: a fast-moving low-pressure weather system that develops east of the Rocky Mountains in western Canada during winter months and moves to the east-southeast across central Canada and into the northern U.S.
Note: An Alberta Clipper typically brings very cold temperatures, high winds, and light snowfall amounts.
Expect another Alberta Clipper to move through southeastern Wisconsin this afternoon and tonight with about 1 to 2 inches of snow and then flurries on Saturday.—
Brian Gotter
Brian GotterExamples of Alberta Clipper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first snowfall from an Alberta Clipper will start falling in Maine tonight and will continue to move across the state into Tuesday.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
What Are Alberta Clipper Storms? Clipper storms, formally known as Alberta clippers, are fast-moving low-pressure systems that originate in Alberta, Canada.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
The National Weather Service defines an Alberta Clipper as a fast-moving, low-pressure system that rolls through the Midwest and sweeps over the Great Lakes, bringing with it heavy wind, light snow and low temperatures.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Dec. 2024
The second system, an Alberta Clipper, will move through Minnesota on Saturday producing a mixed bag of precipitation over parts of the Midwest -- mainly in the form of rain and sleet.
—Haley Brink and Tyler Mauldin, CNN, 27 Nov. 2021
Enbridge also wanted to increase the carrying capacity of its Alberta Clipper pipeline, a separate project, but did not want to go through the permitting process necessary to clear any new pipelines that cross the Canada-U.S. border.
—Nick Martin, The New Republic, 25 June 2021
This Day in Weather History March 8th 2004: A vigorous Alberta Clipper brings an intense snow burst across the Twin Cities from 9:30 am to noon.
—Star Tribune, 7 Mar. 2021
First, though, this evening, an Alberta Clipper producing a rain/snow mix will come from Canada, with potential to produce snowfall across all of Northeast Ohio.
—Cameron Fields, cleveland, 21 Dec. 2020
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Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
What Are Alberta Clipper Storms? Clipper storms, formally known as Alberta clippers, are fast-moving low-pressure systems that originate in Alberta, Canada.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
The National Weather Service defines an Alberta Clipper as a fast-moving, low-pressure system that rolls through the Midwest and sweeps over the Great Lakes, bringing with it heavy wind, light snow and low temperatures.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 2 Dec. 2024
The second system, an Alberta Clipper, will move through Minnesota on Saturday producing a mixed bag of precipitation over parts of the Midwest -- mainly in the form of rain and sleet.
—Haley Brink and Tyler Mauldin, CNN, 27 Nov. 2021
Enbridge also wanted to increase the carrying capacity of its Alberta Clipper pipeline, a separate project, but did not want to go through the permitting process necessary to clear any new pipelines that cross the Canada-U.S. border.
—Nick Martin, The New Republic, 25 June 2021
This Day in Weather History March 8th 2004: A vigorous Alberta Clipper brings an intense snow burst across the Twin Cities from 9:30 am to noon.
—Star Tribune, 7 Mar. 2021
First, though, this evening, an Alberta Clipper producing a rain/snow mix will come from Canada, with potential to produce snowfall across all of Northeast Ohio.
—Cameron Fields, cleveland, 21 Dec. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Alberta Clipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alberta%20Clipper. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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