Brace yourself, Alberta: the unseasonably warm weather is coming to an abrupt end.
Temperatures across the Prairies are expected to plunge this weekend by up to 40 degrees as the jet stream dips south, bringing with it a mass of cold Arctic air.
“It will be the coldest weather so far this winter across the Prairies,” said Danielle Desjardin, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Desjardin predicts there will be extreme cold warnings issued across much of the region.
“For the city of Edmonton, a roughly 30 to 40 degree temperature drop is expected,” said Global Edmonton weather specialist Phil Darlington.
While western Canada has enjoyed unseasonably warm temperatures in recent weeks, an arctic cold front is forecast to descend on the prairie provinces starting Thursday, bringing with it the coldest weather of the winter so far.
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The change begins on Thursday, when a low-pressure system develops over northwestern Alberta.
“That system will bring 15-25 cm of snow to northern Alberta,” said Global Calgary meteorologist Tiffany Lizée.
“Meanwhile, the cold front associated with this system will swing south with strong winds, pulling cold Arctic air down into central and southern Alberta.”
In Calgary on Wednesday, the forecast high was approaching 10 degrees, but Environment Canada says an arctic air mass will begin moving in on Thursday, bringing with it the coldest temperatures so far this winter.
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In Calgary on Wednesday, the forecast high was close to 10 C — much warmer than the normal daytime high of around -3 C.
But wind gusts of up to 60 km/h are forecast for late Thursday and by overnight Saturday, the mercury is expected to plunge to around -20 C. The wind will make it feel even worse.
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“Strong wind gusts up to 90 km/hr are possible across the province, with the 100 km/hr gusts possible through the Crowsnest Pass,” said Lizée.
“There’s also a small chance we could see some lightning along the advancing cold front, thanks to some winter instability.”
Open water along the North Saskatchewan river in Edmonton where the temperature was forecast to hit 7 C on Wednesday before plunging by more than 30 degrees by Sunday night.
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In Edmonton, the daytime high on Wednesday was forecast to be around 7 C — compared to the normal daytime high of -7 C.
On Thursday, wind gusts of around 70 km/h and snow showers are expected as the temperature starts to drop.
“The province will see this cold front settle in on Thursday, bringing strong wind gusts and snowfall or freezing rain in many areas,” said Global Edmonton weather specialist Ciara Yaschuk.
Between Thursday afternoon and Saturday night in Edmonton, temperatures are forecast to plunge by up to 40 degrees and overnight Sunday could be even colder.
While the daytime temperatures are expected to be around – 20 C, the overnight temperatures could see things dip closer to -30 on Saturday and Sunday.
The arrival of an arctic cold front means some parts of Alberta could see a temperature drop of 30 to 40 degrees by Sunday.
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In Lethbridge, the normal temperature this time of year is around -2 C, but wind gusts approaching 100 km/h on Thursday will usher in much colder temperatures.
By Sunday night in the windy city, it’s forecast to drop to -26 C — not including the dreaded windchill.
While the frigid temperatures might be a shock to the system for many Albertans after the recent warm weather, it is forecast to be short-lived.
“The cold weather will only last a few days, as warmer air moves back in early next week for much of Alberta,” said Darlington.
The forecast high on Tuesday is expected to be back to a few degrees above freezing in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge — so bundle up, stay warm and get through the weekend.
While the temperature in Lethbridge is forecast hit about 8 C on Thursday, the mercury will start to drop late in the afternoon as an arctic cold front moves in, bringing with it wind gusts of up to 100 km/hr.
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Despite the forecast for snow in northern Alberta, Environment Canada said this winter has also been drier than normal in much of southern Alberta.
Desjardins said Banff only received 7.8 mm of precipitation in December — that’s just 23 per cent of the 33.2 mm they’d get in a normal year — making it the 14th driest year on record.
So far this winter, Calgary has received about two-thirds of its normal snowfall — 41 cm since Sept. 1, 2024 — compared to 66 cm in a normal year. Lizée says there’s very little in the forecast for the rest of the month.
Snowfall totals in Edmonton are closer to normal with 43 cm of snow falling on the city so far this winter — just shy of the 10-year average of 50 cm.
November saw above-average precipitation for the Edmonton area, and December also saw above average precipitation for the month.
So far January has been dryer than average, however we are only half-way through the month, Darlington said.
“So it’s not fair to call it officially above or below normal just yet.”
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