Warm with sporadic showers and thunderstorms this week

An aerial view of Hawrelak Park in Edmonton on May 12, 2026. (Sean McClune / CTV News Edmonton)

Some heat settles in over the prairies this week thanks to a big upper ridge centred over Saskatchewan and a deep upper trough over B.C. and the west coast.

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

If that ridge were to back up west a bit, we’d be locked into sunshine and afternoons in the 26 to 30 C range.

Instead, it appears much of Alberta will be in the far more unsettled transition zone between those two systems with pulses of moisture being thrown our way from the south.

We’ll get afternoon highs in the mid 20s for the next four or five days, but every day has at least a chance of some occasional showers and thunderstorms riding along the jetstream.

It doesn’t look like we’ll get any “steady rain” days... just sporadic showers and thunderstorms.

The exact timing and location of that precipitation is far from certain.

However, the most likely timeframes are: midday today (30-per cent chance), late in the day Tuesday (30-per cent chance), and early in the day Wed (40-per cent chance).

Here’s the forecast for Edmonton and area:

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

High: 26

Tonight - Partly cloudy.

9pm: 21

Tuesday - Mix of sun & cloud. 30% chance of a late-day shower or thunderstorm.

Morning Low: 12

Afternoon High: 27

Wednesday - 40% chance of showers in the morning. Partly cloudy in the afternoon.

30% chance of shower or thunderstorm in the evening.

Morning Low: 14

Afternoon High: 24

Thursday - Mix of sun & cloud. 40% chance of a late-day shower.

Morning Low: 8

Afternoon High: 25

Friday - Mix of sun & cloud. 40% chance of a late-day shower.

Morning Low: 8

Afternoon High: 23

Saturday - Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers.

Morning Low: 9

Afternoon High: 20