Snow forecast for a pretty foul long weekend in Alberta with up to 20 cm
It’s shaping up to be a dreary and at times snow-covered Thanksgiving long weekend for large parts of Alberta.
Early Thursday morning, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a special weather statement for large swaths of the province, including Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Lloydminster, Grande Prairie, Waterton Lakes National Park, Hinton, Okotoks, and Canmore.
The federal weather agency noted that the first accumulating snow of the year is expected late this week, which may affect holiday travel. Rain will begin to spread across northern Alberta today. Precipitation will change to snow on Friday in west-central regions, and for much of the province by Saturday.
Many areas of Alberta are expected to see accumulating snow on Saturday, possibly including the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. The highest snowfall amounts are expected in western parts of the province, including Grande Cache, Hinton, and Jasper National Park, where snow totals could exceed 20 cm. Snow amounts for other areas of the province remain uncertain. Snow will taper off from north to south on Sunday.
“Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” ECCC added.
Looking at Alberta’s two largest cities, it’s looking like a Thanksgiving long weekend where you’ll just want to stay indoors for the vast majority of it.
Taking a peek at Edmonton first, the forecast shows plenty of rain and a dip in temperatures as we head into the long weekend, with rain or snow on Saturday, Oct. 10 and periods of snow that night with a low of 0°C.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average daytime high for this time of year in Edmonton is 12°C, while the average low is 2°C.
Turning to Calgary, the forecast shows a dip in temperatures later into the long weekend compared to Edmonton, with a 60 per cent chance of rain showers or flurries on Saturday, Oct. 10 and a 40 per cent chance of flurries that night with a low of -1°C.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average daytime high for this time of year in Calgary is 14°C, while the average low is 0°C.
You can view the full list of areas in Alberta under an ECCC special weather statement online.
If you were curious about how the next few months of weather in Alberta are shaping up, we’ve got you covered.