An area of high pressure along the southern border of the western prairies brought above-seasonal temperatures to that region on Tuesday and Wednesday. That ridge has started to encounter an incoming low-pressure system from the Northwest Territories, resulting in a wide area of instability across central B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. Early Thursday, scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms were recorded from southeastern British Columbia—around the TransCanada Highway—all the way to central Saskatchewan. Periods of rain will continue for most of the Thursday, but the band of precipitation is likely to remain fairly narrow, meaning accumulations will be highly variable and localized. Strong north wind is expected as far south as Calgary on Thursday as cold air floods along the foothills. Behind that low, a colder air mass will settle over most of the western prairies over the next week. Daytime highs in Calgary will range from 12 C to 16 C until Wednesday with persistently unsettled weather conditions. Overnight lows in Calgary will remain around seasonal for that same period of time, but locations in the higher elevations will be cold enough that snow and/or mixed precipitation are likely. Calgary will see some rain at the end of this week and possibly over the weekend, but accumulations should remain on the lower end.
