Parts of Alberta at risk of seeing snow fall overnight
It’s going to be a wet 24 hours for some parts of western Alberta, and some areas may even see snow materialize as we near the end of July.
“There is a possibility of rain mixing with snow over higher terrain overnight Monday into early Tuesday morning,” a notice for some mountain towns and areas received on the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) website. The message added that the notice is valid from midnight until 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 22.
Daily Hive chatted with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) scientist Christy Climenhaga on what’s allowing for the risk of snow in mountainous parts of Alberta, even as we zoom through July.
The reason why the chance of snow is in the cards is due to a cold front sweeping south through Alberta today, which is bringing some showery weather through central Alberta, and cooler air is flushing into the province.
“With all of this moisture and then that cooler air, there is the risk of a little bit of snow in July for higher elevations in the Mountain Park,” Climenhaga said, with the main areas with the chance of seeing some snow being along certain sections of Highway 93, around the 2,000 to 2,200 metre range.
When it came to how much snow could fall, that is a tad trickier to predict at the moment, and it will all depend on how cool it gets overnight.
“Keep an eye on the forecast, and just be aware that if you are planning on driving around Highway 93 early tomorrow morning or late tonight, that you might see some snowfall,” Climenhaga added.
“Something to keep in mind to plan ahead and to make sure that you know the forecast and you’re taking care on the roads out there.”
On a different note, a small system in southern Alberta is also set to bring some “substantial rainfall” around the Calgary area and west/south of the city in the next 24 hours, with 30 to 50 millimetres of rain possible. If a thunderstorm or more persistent showers also pop up, stronger rainfall rates will also allow for the potential for higher rainfall totals.
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“We’ll have to keep an eye on the rainfall, because we are going to be very close to that warning level for rainfall just around the foothills to the west of Calgary. So that’s something to keep an eye on,” Climenhaga said.
Just last Friday, parts of Alberta were under threat from large hail and the chance of seeing a tornado, and now the province is eyeing up the potential for some snowfall. You know how the saying goes in Alberta, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.”
Alberta is no stranger to summer snow, with some parts of the province seeing snow earlier this month. Last month, some areas saw around 30 centimetres of snow at the start of the season, too.
Last year, Alberta also saw a “Christmas in June” event, with snowfall in some western parts of the province, including Banff, Bragg Creek, and Canmore.
If the cooler weather has your eyes set on the upcoming fall season, an early forecast for Alberta might make you consider booking an early tropical vacation.