The daytime highs across southern Alberta on Wednesday will be similar to Tuesday – sitting around 25 C in Calgary, compared to the average high of 20 C. There will be a few differences in terms of conditions though. A low-pressure system moving through southern British Columbia will disrupt the weather pattern and introduce some instability for the western prairies. Rain showers and thunderstorms were already tracking south to north along the southern foothills and southern B.C. during the Wednesday morning commute, with an increasing chance of rain around throughout the day. Strong wind will precede the heart of that low with sustained wind speeds over 60 km/h and gusts up to 100 km/h possible for portions southern Alberta in the evening. Calgary may see some rain and/or nocturnal thunderstorms on Wednesday night and Thursday morning as that system sticks close the eastern slopes of the Rockies. A high-pressure system across the eastern prairies will contribute holding that low over central Alberta on Thursday afternoon, and by the end of the week persistent – and at times heavy rain – is likely along the northern half of the foothills. The long weekend will include a risk of intermittent and scattered showers most days, with daytime highs falling to the mid-teens in Calgary. The bulk of precipitation in Alberta this weekend is expected to fall west of Highway 2 and the QEII. Rainfall totals around Calgary will not be as high as areas north and west of Edmonton where rainfall warnings could be issued. Areas like Hinton or Grand Prairie will see rainfall accumulations around 40 millimetres, and mixed precipitation and/or snow is possible in the higher elevations by Friday.
