The Alberta forecast is cold but some WAY worse weather is nearby
A cold spell is about to hit much of Alberta soon, but luckily, most of the province is forecast to be spared by an extremely bitter blast of Arctic air impacting much of the Prairies.
Daily Hive reached out to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) meteorologist James Colangelo, who told us that the centre of the extreme cold is over southern Nunavut and northern Manitoba at the moment.
While Alberta will still shiver under below-normal temperature values as we head into the weekend, we have it relatively easy compared to what is lurking to the east of us.
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Colangelo says that the big push of cold air will move south into the eastern Prairies, where it will sit into late this weekend. For the most part, Alberta is going to be spared by the really, really cold temperatures that are coming with this system; however, there could be a few days of cold, especially for northeastern Alberta and potentially to the east of the Edmonton area to the Saskatchewan border.
“The cold air really isn’t making its way into western or southwestern Alberta for the time being, and the cold that does make it in will push eastward and move away from the area later on this weekend,” Colangelo added.
“That Arctic air is pushing kind of over the eastern Arctic southward, so that’s why we’re not seeing it for most of Alberta.”
Looking at the ECCC Significant Weather Outlook, Friday will likely be the chilliest day for much of Alberta that’s at risk of seeing it, thanks to the risk of wind chill values in the -35Ā°C to -40Ā°C range, including on the doorstep of Edmonton to the east. A slim section of northeastern Alberta is also running the risk of wind chill values in the -50Ā°C to -40Ā°C range.
As mentioned earlier, Alberta really is escaping the worst of the cold weather, with our friends in the Prairies to the east staring down a forecast that hints at wind chill values in the -55Ā°C to -45Ā°C range for multiple days in some areas.
ECCC Significant Weather Outlook
No major snowfall events are in the cards for Alberta with this weather system. There will be bouts of light flurries occurring, but things are fairly benign in terms of precipitation.
While the forecast for Edmonton and Calgary both show Thursday night into Friday morning being the coldest over the next seven days, Colangelo stressed the importance of being prepared for the dip in temperatures.
If you’re planning on being outside in the cold weather later in the week, bundle up, and don’t go outside with a lot of exposed skin. If you are planning on driving around and find yourself stranded somewhere, do not leave your vehicle, as doing so could cause more stress and issues trying to find shelter elsewhere.
How long is this tepid dip in temperature forecast to last in Alberta?
Luckily, Colangelo says that the cold air that slumps down will be relatively short-lived in Alberta as it moves south and east as well, with the province being on the cusp of the really cold air.
“It’s a different story for Saskatchewan and Manitoba for sure. It’s looking like a multi-day, really deep freeze for those provinces, but Alberta, especially like Calgary, Edmonton, shouldn’t see too much in terms of really, really cold days and impact,” Colangelo added.
Alberta is even going to see some rising temperatures into next week,Ā as those temperatures rebound a bit as some warmer air from the west moves in.
Much of the province could even see above-normal temperatures for the early part of next week, welcome news after the colder weather anticipated over the coming days.