Hold on to your hats: strong winds are set to sweep across the Rocky Mountains and pummel the foothills and parts of southwestern Alberta.
Environment Canada said Chinook winds are poised to pack a punch on Wednesday.
A wind warning was issued from the U.S. border, north along the foothills to the Hinton and Edson areas, and includes communities such as Canmore, Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Creek, Fort MacLeod and Nordegg.
Damaging gusts to 80-100 km/h or more are possible Wednesday afternoon.
“The upper ridge that has been bringing us this late-season heat will start to break down on Wednesday and a low-pressure system will move into central Alberta,” Global News meteorologist Tiffany Lizee said.
The weather agency said the winds are expected to weaken late Wednesday night.
“This setup will bring strong winds to the leeward side of the Rockies and into the foothills. Gusts will start to pick up Wednesday afternoon, potentially reaching 100 km/h and not weakening in the southwest until Thursday morning,” Lizee added.
Environment Canada issues wind warnings when there is a significant risk of damaging winds, saying loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage.
What are Chinook winds? For those not in the know, they occur on the lee side of mountain ranges, which is opposite to the windward side.
Moist air drives up against mountain ranges. Once it rains or snows, the air is “emptied” of that moisture, and is then a drier air mass. The dry air then moves downhill on the lee side of the mountain range, warming as it goes.
In the winter, that dry, warm air is a perfect setup for massive evaporation of any snowpack along the lee side of the mountain.
The Santa Ana winds of California are the same thing, and in Europe, they’re called Foehn winds.
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