Achi news desk-
Thursday will be similar to Wednesday with mild conditions across southern Alberta and seasonally higher daytime highs.
Winds will continue to flow from the west and south-west – but with less intensity than Wednesday.
A low pressure system in the north-central region will track east throughout the day, leaving behind an area of ​​instability and adding some much needed moisture to Northern Alberta.
Unfortunately, precipitation totals are not expected to be significant – increasing by around 5-7 millimeters in the north, and those gains could be offset by the risk of convective activity, or thunderstorms, in those same areas.
A moist Pacific system will bring light and mixed precipitation to the interior of southern BC and the Rocky Mountains late Thursday and into Friday.
Daytime highs will drop on Friday but improve by Saturday. Higher elevation locations in the Rockies are likely to see 4 to 5 centimeters of snow with mixed precipitation possible in some lower elevation locations.
With surface temperatures as warm as they are, it is unlikely that ice and snow will build up on the roads, especially later in the day with the influence of daytime heating.
Outside of the slight potential for light and very scattered rain, Calgary should sit outside the target precipitation area for Thursday and Friday.
The incoming precipitation and drop in temperatures likely contributed to small improvements for some parts of Alberta in their Relative Fire Danger Index score, and this trend is expected to continue to improve on Friday.
The Relative Fire Danger Index evaluates:
- How easy it would be for vegetation to catch fire;
- How difficult it would be to extinguish such a fire; a
- The amount of potential damage said fire could cause.
Because this is a relative index it can change significantly from day to day based on the weather and temperature.
Natural Resources Canada Relative Fire Danger Index Forecast for April 25, 2024.
Daytime highs will return to the mid-teens for Calgary by Saturday, with some cooling expected to begin on Monday.
