It’s shaping up to be a storybook Christmas Eve for large portions of Alberta, with some areas forecast to see up to 20 cm of snow.
Daily Hive spoke to Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), on what Albertans could expect as we hit the home stretch to Christmas Day.
How much snow is forecast for Alberta, and where?
Chris Lemmen/Shutterstock
As of Monday, Dec. 22, significant snowfall in the 10 to 15 centimetre range is in the cards for Edmonton, Calgary, Lloydminster, and the Alberta Rockies, while areas of central Alberta, like Red Deer all the way to the Saskatchewan border, may see snowfall amounts creep up to the 20 centimetre range.
Lang says the weather pattern is currently active, meaning systems are moving through, and right now, we have relatively average to a little bit colder than average air sitting over the province, but we are expecting another weather system to make its way onto the coast through British Columbia.
“What happens is it kind of gets ripped apart, and then it reforms on the other side of the mountains, and that looks to be forming snow on Christmas Eve day, and certainly it’s going to bring some more snow across many parts of the province, maybe not the far north, but it does look like a snowy day on Christmas Eve.”
Most of Alberta is set to see a white Christmas, and some parts of northern Alberta may even be treated to a “perfect Christmas,” which is when there’s at least two centimetres of snow on the ground, and it snows on Christmas Day.
Temperatures are also forecast to ease across the province as we move closer to Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but nothing too major during that timeframe.
As for what Albertans should prepare for, as many take to the highways to visit loved ones over the holidays, Lang says, be prepared for winter driving conditions.
“It’s December, it’s Alberta. Be prepared, we saw last week lots of people who weren’t. That means having your car ready. That means winter tires. That means an emergency kit in the car. That means a full tank of gas, a charged cell phone, and adjusting your driving for the conditions.”
Looking at the forecast for YEG and YYC, both cities will see a snowy Christmas Eve and a chilly Christmas Day, with a warm-up being hinted at as we move closer to New Year’s Eve.
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.
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.
While the most populated cities in Alberta shiver over the coming days, temperatures aren’t nearly as frigid as they are in northern areas.
Extreme cold warnings are currently in place for a large swath of northern Alberta, with ECCC stating that a long period of very cold wind chills is expected. Wind chill values will drop to the -40 to -45 range during the overnight and morning hours, and wind chill values will moderate to the -30 to -35 range during the afternoon and evening hours. This pattern is expected to continue through much of the week.
You can view the full list of watches, warnings, and special weather statements on the ECCC weather information portal.
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.