While it’s looking like a snowy Christmas Eve is on the way for large parts of Alberta, 2025 may end with a weather rollercoaster.
While spots like Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary brace for some snow over the coming days, Alberta is looking to seriously warm up soon.
Daily Hive spoke to Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), about what Albertans could expect as we roll towards the end of 2025.
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Much of Alberta is currently in the grips of bitter cold, especially in northern sections, with extreme cold warnings in place.
Things are looking up as we move towards the end of the weekend and the start of next week, around Dec. 28 and 29, with Lang mentioning a bit of a chinook event for southern Alberta.
There’s an atmospheric river that is coming onto the coast of British Columbia, and what that often does is bring chinook conditions across southern Alberta, and then usually the rest of the province gets in on it, depending on if it can move that Arctic air out of the way.
“The Arctic air tends to be really dense and heavy, so it sometimes can be really hard to shove out of the way, and sometimes the warm air just rides over top of it, and it’s gone. So sometimes you don’t even see the warmer air unless it can break through and break into motion of conditions,” Lang said.
Albertans better get out and enjoy the bit of a warm-up on the 28th and 29th, because on the heels of that is a push of cold air.
“That’s certainly what it’s looking like, cold air starting into the New Year, for sure,” added Lang.
Looking at the forecast for key spots from northern Alberta to southern Alberta, the warm-up that’s behind the swing in temperatures on the way is evident, albeit far more prominent as you move deeper south in the province.
Fort McMurray forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average high for Fort McMurray around this time of year is -13°C, while the average low is -23°C.
Edmonton forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average high for Edmonton around this time of year is -6°C, while the average low is -15°C.
Red Deer forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average high for Red Deer around this time of year is -6°C, while the average low is -16°C.
Calgary forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average high for Calgary around this time of year is -2°C, while the average low is -14°C.
Lethbridge forecast
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average high for Lethbridge around this time of year is -1°C, while the average low is -13°C.
If you’re looking for how the winter forecast for Alberta seems to be shaping up, we have you covered, while we also have the scoop on how often Calgary and Edmonton have seen white Christmases so far this century.