Warmup starts on Thursday, increasing concerns around wildfire

Won't be too hot in Calgary on Wednesday Won't be too hot in Calgary on Wednesday. Jodi Hughes has a look at the five-day forecast from the Sky Watch Weather Centre.

Some communities in southern Alberta started the day with temperatures below freezing Wednesday – including Bragg Creek where it dropped to -2 C before 7 a.m.

This situation may repeat again on Thursday morning with cooler overnight lows before a change in weather patterns.

A ridge of high pressure will move in from the Pacific and settle over the western Prairies and the southern Territories on Thursday to kick off a trend of warmer weather.

Both daytime highs and overnight lows are expected to exceed seasonal thresholds by the weekend throughout the province which is amplifying the fire danger risk.

The fire danger relative index for most of Alberta on Wednesday sits between a low to moderate risk, but the warmer weather which could start with convective activity is changing those ratings for Thursday.

The fire danger relative index is an evaluation of three main criteria – how likely it would be for a wildfire to ignite, ow difficult it would be to extinguish a wildfire and how much damage is possible.

There is a slight chance of light and scattered rain in southern Alberta on Wednesday with an increased risk of more severe thunderstorms late Thursday and Friday. Otherwise, sunshine is likely for most of the next seven days.