Nearly 40 Alberta locations set new records Wednesday with highs close to 18 C

Heat records could be broken in Calgary. Jodi Hughes has a look at the five-day forecast from the Sky Watch Weather Centre.

Daytime highs across Alberta were unusually warm on Wednesday, resulting in a third day of record-setting temperatures.

Some of those communities have been keeping daily maximum and minimum temperature records for more than 140 years.

Given the large amount of data to compare to – often when a new record is set for any particular day, that new record is exceeded by only tenths of degrees.

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On Wednesday, many Alberta communities exceeded their daily high records by 3 to 6 degrees, including in Calgary.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Calgary area reached a high of 16.9 C on Jan. 14, 2026.

The old record of 11.2 C was set in 2004. Records have been kept there since 1881.

Among the records set on Jan. 14, 2026, were:

• Brooks area: 15.8 C. Old record of 13.3 C was set in 1942. Records have been kept there since 1912.
• Claresholm area: 19.5 C. Old record of 13.8 C was set in 2008. Records have been kept there since 1951.
• Drumheller area: 11.4 C. Old record of 9.1 C was set in 2008. Records have been kept there since 1923.
• Edmonton area: 11.6 C. Old record of 8.3 C was set in 1942. Records have been kept there since 1880.
• Fort McMurray area: 11.0 C. Old record of 6.9 C was set in 1986. Records have been kept there since 1908.
• Lethbridge area: 17.5 C. Old record of 13.3 C was set in 1942. Records have been kept there since 1902.
• Medicine Hat area: 14.4 C. Old record of 9.4 C was set in 1931. Records have been kept there since 1883.
• Pincher Creek area: 13.2 C. Old record of 11.7 C was set in 1973. Records have been kept there since 1893.
• Rocky Mountain House area: 16.3 C. Old record of 12.2 C was set in 1968. Records have been kept there since 1915.

Winds across the province were strong Wednesday with a distinct west to east flow.

A cold front moving from the northwest to the southeast through Alberta has introduced colder air and instability for Thursday.

Wind warnings were issued early Thursday morning along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, with north winds up to 90 km/h expected throughout the day.

Daytime highs Thursday will drop considerably across southern Alberta compared to Wednesday, but will still remain above seasonal.

In Calgary, the forecast high on Thursday will reach 5 C compared to the average of -3 C.

Temperatures will continue to be above seasonal for the next five days, but fluctuate from day to day.

Over the next week, a polar air mass will meander over central Canada and sink toward the Gulf - which will help anchor the Pacific ridge.

By the end of next week, that upper pattern will start to break down and arctic air will flood into the west bringing daytime highs in Calgary well below freezing.

The maximum temperatures in Calgary on Friday and Saturday will sit closer to the average low of -15 C.