Melting will continue this weekend as temperatures sit well above average. Daytime highs of 9 C to 14 C will continue until next Saturday, with lows between -1 C and 5 C. The normal range in Calgary this time of year is -2 C for a high and -14 C for a low. On Wednesday, the daily high and low temperatures will be 16 and 19-degrees warmer than average, respectively. A ridge of high pressure situated over the west will remain parked producing a persistently warm pattern. On Friday, the eastern edge of that ridge will cut through southern Alberta, producing strong westerly winds near Crowsnest Pass and Pincher Creek. In Calgary, the sustained winds will likely be around 20 to 40 km/h. Yellow warnings for rainfall have been issued along the west coast as 50 to 70 mm of rain is expected over the next couple of days. That same system is transitioning to mixed precipitation and snow through the B.C. interior and over the Rockies, and at the northern edge of the range freezing rain was falling early Friday. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued yellow warnings for freezing rain due to the risk of dangerous driving conditions and icy surfaces. Some light and scattered precipitation also fell along the foothills Friday morning, with more likely later when a low injects some colder air and instability into the region by the evening. Central and southern Alberta will likely see some mixed precipitation, including in Calgary, but the heaviest accumulations are expected along the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary overnight.
