Snow melt accelerates through the first week of April

Ice covers the North Saskatchewan River beneath Edmonton's High Level Bridge during sunrise on March 23, 2026. (Sean McClune / CTV News Edmonton)

Milder/warmer air is settling in after a lengthy cool spell. Six of the past seven days have had daytime highs below 0 C (average highs are in the 5-6 C range).

• Hourly and 7-day forecast on our CTVNewsEdmonton.ca weather hub

We won’t get above 5 C until Friday or Saturday, but we should hit the 1 to 4 C range today-Thursday in Edmonton.

Friday-Sunday are forecast to hit the 4 to 8 C range (Saturday should be the warmest of the three).

THEN...looking ahead to next week, most days will be in the 3-7 C degree range. That’s definitely not a heat streak, but it will promote a slow and steady melt.

Yes... there IS more snow in the forecast, but that won’t stop the steady melting of the snow pack.

The spring snow melt will kick into high gear over the next seven to 10 days with those temperatures consistently climbing above 0 C through the daytime hours and some sun.

I don’t think we’ll have too many days with full-on blue skies. But, we’ll get enough that the snowcover should be pretty much gone by mid to late next week (except for some of the deeper snow banks and some shaded areas).

That’d put us pretty much on par with most of the past few years. In the 2020s, snow cover is down to virtually north (or a trace) by the end of the first week of April in every year except 2020. That year, there was about three times as much snow on the ground as there is now and we had a deep cold spell to start April.

Yet...even in that year, the snow was gone by April 20.

So, the snow cover is on it’s way out. But, we’re far from done with seeing more snow (it just usually doesn’t last long at this time of year).

Three of the past six years have had snow in late April or early May.

In the Edmonton region, there’s a chance of some flurries/light snow Wednesday night and through the morning hours Thursday. We’ll probably end up with 1-3 cm of accumulation.

There’s a chance of some showers on Sunday and a slight risk of flurries/snow Monday and Wednesday of next week.

Here’s the forecast for Edmonton and area:

Today - Sunny this morning. Partly cloudy this afternoon.

High: 3

Tonight - Cloudy periods.

9pm: -2

Wednesday - Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of evening flurries.

Morning Low: -8

Afternoon High: 2

Thursday - Cloudy. 60% chance of snow through the morning.

1 to 3cm likely.

Morning Low: -4

Afternoon High: 1

Friday - Mix of sun & cloud.

Morning Low: -4

Afternoon High: 5

Saturday - Partly cloudy.

Morning Low: -3

Afternoon High: 7

Sunday - Mix of sun & cloud. 30% chance of showers.

Morning Low: -1

Afternoon High: 5