EDMONTON – After a mild but windy start to the month, temperatures continue to climb in Alberta’s capital region.
Daily temperatures have been well above seasonal every day this month and on Friday, the mercury could hit 20°C or higher.
Thermometers would have to be 25°C or warmer in Edmonton to break any temperature records Friday, but it won’t be surprising to see parts of southern Alberta add to the record books.
You also shouldn’t be surprised if you hear some thunder or see some lightning late Friday.
“The risk of non-severe thunderstorms is for Hinton, Grande Cache, Whitecourt and Edson,” Global Edmonton’s chief meteorologist Jesse Beyer explained. He said closer to Edmonton, “we may see the odd flash of lightning or hear a rumble of thunder from the west and northwest Friday night,” though Beyer noted that it’s likely to be a brief event.
Much of western Canada will bask in the heat on Friday as a broad upper ridge in the jet stream allows for warm southern air to push into the region. But this weekend’s forecast will tell a tale of two regions in Canada, as unseasonably cold conditions are forecast to continue through the east.
“We’ll be dealing with a nice push of mild air in the west as our jet stream ridges into the territories,” Beyer explained, saying that temperatures could be 10 to 15°C above average.
“Whereas towards central Canada, Ontario in particular, they’ll be dealing with an outbreak of cold Arctic air.”
Places like Toronto “will be seeing temperatures 10 to 15°C below average with a possible record low being broken Sunday morning,” Beyer said.
As we move into the weekend, Edmonton too will see its own dramatic shift in weather conditions. Daytime highs are forecast to hit 10°C on Saturday and just 7°C on Sunday.
“The low pressure system that will usher in the warm air for Friday may deal a double-edged sword as a cold front slumps in overnight and into Saturday morning,” Beyer said.
“That will cool us by about 10°C with the risk of showers or even thunderstorms for areas of west and central Alberta Friday evening.”
Friday and Saturday will also feature some very strong winds though they will likely remain below warning criteria. Gusts on Saturday could reach up to 60 km/h.
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