Why an Alberta Clipper Is Turning Utica Into a Deep Freeze This Week

If you’ve stepped outside lately and thought, “Why does the air feel like it’s judging my life choices?”,  congratulations, you’re officially experiencing an Alberta Clipper.

It's a real thing. And it’s the reason Utica and the Mohawk Valley are cold, snowy, and a little cranky this week. And quite frankly, same.

So… what exactly is an Alberta Clipper?

Picture a tiny, fast-moving troublemaker that darts out of Alberta, Canada, and races across the Great Plains, the Midwest, the Great Lakes, and eventually straight into our lives.

A clipper is a quick-hitting low-pressure system that brings snow, wind, and cold temperatures. Meteorologists call it “efficient.” The rest of us call it “rude.”

Why It's So Dang Cold

Alberta Clippers are known for their speed, but their real personality trait is the brutal temperature drop they drag along behind them.

These systems pull down fresh Arctic air, which is why it suddenly feels like Utica relocated to Winnipeg overnight.

Read More: NY Urges Residents to Reduce Rock Salt Use 

Wind gusts across the northern U.S. have been hitting 40–60 mph, causing blowing snow, whiteouts, and the kind of don't inflate the inflatables wind we all know too well.

]Bundle up, keep an eye on the advisories, and remember: if your car heater takes longer to warm up than your coffee, blame Canada.