Severe thunderstorms eye Alberta Wednesday with enormous hail and tornado risk
It may be an active weather day for many parts of Alberta, with the risk of severe thunderstorms that may produce extremely large hail and potentially tornadoes.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), thunderstorm outlooks from the Storm Prediction Centre show many parts of Alberta at risk of severe thunderstorm activity today, July 15.
There is a high-risk zone present in the province today, mainly west/northwest of the Edmonton region. Populated areas in this zone include Drayton Valley, Edson, Whitecourt, Mayerthorpe, and Swan Hills.
Weather risks in that area include wind gusts of up to 110 kilometres an hour, with thunderstorms that could bring hail up to seven centimetres in size, the equivalent of a baseball. Up to 50 millimetres of rain may also occur if a thunderstorm materializes, and the possibility of a tornado forming can’t be ruled out.
A moderate risk zone exists just outside of the high risk, which encompasses Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Sylvan Lake, and Cold Lake. Risks in that area include wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour, with thunderstorms that could bring hail up to four centimetres in size, the equivalent of a ping pong ball. Rainfall amounts of up to 40 millimetres are also at play.
A second moderate risk zone that includes the potential of a tornado can be found hugging the Saskatchewan border south of Lloydminster down to the Montana border, with Medicine Hat, Elkwater, Provost, and Consort in that zone. Risks in that area include wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres an hour, with thunderstorms that could bring hail up to four centimetres in size, the equivalent of a ping pong ball. Rainfall amounts of up to 50 millimetres are also at play.
Other parts of the province, including Calgary, Fort McMurray, Peace River, Lloydminster, Okotoks, and Lethbridge, are at risk of seeing thunderstorms that could produce wind gusts of 70 kilometres an hour, hail up to three centimetres in size, which is about the size of a toonie, and up to 40 millimetres of rain.
ECCC Storm Prediction Centre
Severe thunderstorm watches were issued for much of Alberta shortly after 10:30 this morning, with ECCC stating that severe thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon and evening. The threat of severe thunderstorms will continue into the overnight hours over central and eastern Alberta.
Areas along the Foothills, west and northwest of Edmonton, were also placed under a tornado watch. Severe thunderstorms that may produce tornadoes will develop in the mid to late afternoon and progress to the east in those areas, with the tornado threat diminishing in the late evening.
You can check for any current weather watches and warnings on the ECCC website.
ECCC Storm Prediction Centre
The risk of thunderstorms carries into the overnight hours, with the outlook for early Thursday still showing a minor weather risk for Edmonton up to the Fort McMurray area, with wind gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour, hail up to two centimetres in size, and up to 40 millimetres of rain.