Alberta forecast to get up to 200 mm of rain and heavy snow in some spots
It’s going to be a wet weekend in Alberta, with the current forecast hinting at the possibility of some areas in the province netting up to 200 millimetres of rain.
Daily Hive chatted with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) scientist Christy Climenhaga on what is causing the heavy rainfall in Alberta and what to expect.
Special weather statements were issued by the ECCC for much of the Rockies and southern Alberta on Thursday morning. The federal weather agency states that heavy precipitation and strong winds are expected this weekend over southern Alberta, with rain beginning on Friday, and the heaviest rain forecast to fall along the Alberta foothills.
Climenhaga says moisture is being pulled into the region thanks to a low forming just south of Alberta in the U.S., and it’s vertically stacked in the atmosphere, with general precipitation amounts ranging between 50 to 100 mm by Sunday afternoon; however, some areas, especially along the southern foothills, could see between 100 to 200 mm.
The rain is expected to change to snow over mountainous terrain on Friday night, as cooler temperatures move into the region, resulting in very wet and heavy snowfall.
Accumulations will be highly variable; however, upwards of 10 to 20 cm is possible over the highest terrain, such as Highwood Pass and southern sections of Highway 93.
Strong northerly winds are also expected to develop on Saturday, with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. The strong winds combined with the recent rainfall could result in tree damage.
How often does Alberta get rain events like this?
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Climenhaga says that although rain events like the one Alberta is set to experience this weekend aren’t unprecedented, it is significant.
She points to the rainfall event back in 2022 when a system brought heavy rain and strong winds to southern Alberta between June 12 and 15, when Calgary saw 79 millimetres and the Kananaskis region reported over 200 millimetres.
“Of course, many think back to 2013 as well, that, of course, even more rain with that system. So these sorts of setups do happen, but they aren’t unprecedented, you know, but they’re very significant.”
She added that with the upcoming system on Alberta’s doorstep, it’s best to reevaluate plans you may have made, like camping in the impacted area.
With the strong winds also on the table, Climenhaga says that when the ground is already saturated and high winds come through, tree damage and some power disruptions may be possible through the weekend, depending on how those winds develop.
You can view the full list of active weather alerts on the ECCC website.