Warm and dry Thursday ahead of cool and wet weekend

Thursday will be warm in southern Alberta as stable conditions dominate.

With a weak ridge of high pressure at the surface in southern Alberta, daytime highs are expected to range from the low to mid 20s.

Rain is expected in northern Alberta with around five to eight millimetres possible by the end of the day.

Friday will start off warm through much of the province, with peak temperatures in southern Alberta between the mid to high 20s, however an incoming shift in weather patterns will create instability in central Alberta and convective activity (thunderstorms) will likely occur.

That cooler air mass will sink south throughout the weekend causing daytime highs in Calgary to drop 15 C from Friday to Sunday. For perspective, the daytime high on Sunday will be colder than the overnight lows at the end of this week.

First thunderstorms and then rain will persist over the Father’s Day weekend, with the bulk of precipitation in Calgary expected on Saturday.

Warmer weather will be slow to return, with seasonal ranges not expected again until Wednesday.