A big weather change is forecast for Alberta and snow is lurking

Most of Alberta has been basking in some serious warmth for the past week, and you’ll want to soak it in this weekend because a big weather change is on the way.

The heat has been a real treat, but it is indeed still winter in Alberta. Daily Hive chatted with Stephen Berg, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), regarding the colder temperatures coming our way.

So keep those winter jackets and snow shovels handy because after this weekend ,it’s going to feel CHILLY out there!

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How’s the weather shaping up for Alberta?

Before we get into the drop in temperatures and threat of snow for parts of the province, it’s looking absolutely stunning for most of Alberta this weekend, particularly Saturday, including Edmonton and Calgary, with temperatures well above normal.

Berg says that this weekend is characterized by an upper ridge/the crest of the jet stream, which starts to collapse come Sunday.

Sunday is a tad bit cooler but still above normal temperatures, with the risk of rain or snow overnight. That’s where things start to take a turn for the colder.

“You get more cooler in flux from the north with this ridge collapse, then towards the mid part of the week, and then the weekend, things look a little bit more like a trough situation in a good chunk of Alberta, not necessarily the far south part of the province, but certainly most of the most of the rest of the province is under a kind of a cooler air mass. So cooler than normal,” Berg added.

Some spots in the province may avoid the below-normal temperatures, like Lethbridge, which may remain above zero for the most part, but for large chunks of the province, it’s going to be cooler than normal for “certainly the mid to the later part of the week into next weekend.”

Snow is set to accompany the drop in temperatures for some areas

The cooler temperature is bringing some snow with it for some areas in the province, with Edmonton under the gun for five to 10 centimetres overnight Sunday into Monday.

Further west in the province, the northern Rockies around Jasper may see snow as soon as Saturday morning, falling into Monday afternoon before things push southeast. Jasper, along with Lake Louise and other mountainous areas, may see snowfall amounts of up to 40 centimetres.

“There might be some instances of heavier snowfall rates. There may be some reduced visibility on the Yellowhead just between Edson and Edmonton, but beyond that, [it] looks pretty decent. If you’re in the Rocky Mountain Highway area, that might be a bit of a cause for concern, especially for visibilities. Road conditions might not be that good, depending on whether there’s slush or ice or something like that on the road as well.”

Looking at the seven-day forecast for Edmonton and Calgary, overnight lows in the double digits are in store for YEG, while YYC will be a bit warmer with the coldest overnight low of -8°C.

Edmonton

According to ECCC, Edmonton should expect to see a high of zero and a low of -9°C this time of year.

Calgary

According to ECCC, Calgary should expect to see a high of 3°C and a low of -9°C around this time of year.

So get ready Alberta, because we are set to endure a change by swapping the warm temperatures and sunshine for snow, colder temperatures and more wintry weather – something Berg reiterated.

“It’s technically still winter, this is more of a reminder that it’s not over yet.”