Rain and cooler temperatures on the way to end the week

Calgary weather: sun and cloud Wednesday Jodi Hughes has a look at the five-day forecast from the Sky Watch Weather Centre.

After a week of above-average temperatures, both the highs and lows will drop below seasonal and rain is likely in the Calgary area.

A sinking polar jet will enhance the development of a low-pressure system in southern Alberta on Thursday and amplify instability.

Cloud will build throughout the day Thursday and rain is possible Thursday evening and Friday morning in Calgary.

Total accumulations should be minimal in Calgary – and rain will taper off on Friday. Central Alberta is likely to see higher amounts of moisture, with some models suggesting as much as 25 mm in some areas.

Higher elevation locations west of Calgary may receive mixed precipitation overnight, but again accumulations are not expected to be extreme.

Overnight temperatures will drop considerably on Friday night, with many locations sitting close to freezing.

This cooldown will be brief, and daytime highs will return to above seasonal thresholds by Saturday. The average high in Calgary right now is 17 C with an average low of 3 C.