The unusual fall weather in Alberta continues, with some golf courses in Calgary and Edmonton reopening at the same time skiers are hitting the slopes for some of the best fall skiing conditions in recent years.
The forecast high for Calgary for Thursday was 15 C, but by 2 p.m. it had already hit 17 C — just 3 degrees off the record high.
Friday’s forecast high is 15 C.
The warm weather extending across southern Alberta, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Stephen Berg.
In Edmonton, the forecast temperature was around 13 C on Thursday and Friday.
“That’s about 12 degrees above normal,” said Berg.
In Lethbridge, the temperature could hit 18 C.
The normal overnight temperature in Calgary this time of year is about -8 C, said Berg.
But Chinook winds, with gusts of 30 to 60 km/h overnight on Wednesday, caused the mercury to soar — from 6.4 C at 9 p.m. on Wednesday to 11.4 C at 5 a.m. on Thursday, added Berg.
The blast of warm weather, prompting several golf courses in Calgary and Edmonton to temporarily reopen.
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“People are stoked to be out here — Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are fully booked — we’ve still got a few tee times on Monday,” said Brian Dyck, course pro at Cattail Crossing in Edmonton.
In Calgary, Mavis Matchette said “it’s absolutely beautiful,” as she prepared to tee off at Shaganappi Point golf course.
“I was very surprised when I heard it was opening.
“This weather is incredible.”
The unseasonably warm weather courtesy of an atmospheric river blowing in off the north Pacific ocean with three major storm systems expected to hit B.C. over the next 72 hours, with between 50 and 120 mm of rain in each system.
And while the atmospheric river is also being credited for heavy snow in the Rockies in recent weeks, allowing some ski resorts to open this week, “by the time the storm systems get east of the mountains they’re pretty dry,” said Berg.
While temperatures are expected to cool off a bit on Saturday, Berg said they “could still hit the high single digits or low double digits in Calgary and Lethbridge.”
But a warning for those golfers who are still thinking about booking one of the remaining tee times, those on the slopes Global News spoke with said they are “disappearing like crazy.”
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