The May long weekend forecast for Alberta is out and it's not looking great
The May long weekend in Alberta can bring anything from the first taste of summer heat to a hefty dump of snow — and this year, it’s not looking like the prettiest weather.
You may want to redirect your attention from some of the best spots to camp in Alberta this May long weekend to something indoors — but if you are a weathered Albertan, this forecast might not look so bad for you!
Daily Hive chatted with Stephen Berg, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on what to expect for the upcoming long weekend.
If you are in Edmonton or Calgary, the forecast suggests cool temperatures for those cities and most of southern and central Alberta, along with being “quite showery” for the earlier part of the weekend.
“Highs in low to mid-teens or even cooler, with some variable winds but mostly northwesterly,” said Berg.
“Nothing super high for wind, but will be a chilly breeze until early Sunday.”
“With the shower conditions cloudy, Monday might clear up a little bit more but the early half of the weekend should be pretty cloudy and wet potentially.”
Some parts of Alberta also have a chance of snow, with mountain snow for areas like Banff and Canmore on Saturday, but not necessarily the communities themselves but higher elevations.
According to Berg, the May long weekend forecast for northern Alberta is looking fairly dry, which is not great given the current wildfire situation.
“The winds on the weekend may also bring smoke down from up north, depending if they can be brought under more control this week. Smoke might be a bit of an issue, and new fire starts are possible.”
As for tips for Albertans this May long weekend, Berg says to dress more warmly than you might for a typical May day and to drive to the conditions if you’re out driving in mountain areas of the province and see some of that snow falling.
If special air quality statements are issued, stay indoors if possible and have a decent air filter system. Staying out of the smoke is the big thing to protect your lungs.