Ready or not, snow is in the forecast for this part of Canada
September is barely a week old and there’s already snow in the forecast for parts of the country.
It’s only the beginning of September and there’s already snow popping up on the map for the end of this week. It’s a stark reminder that summer’s heat is sticking around on borrowed time and, ready or not, we’ll soon dive into worrying about dusting off the coats and digging out the shovel.
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A broad upper-level trough will swing over Western Canada to end the week. This trough will usher in cooler temperatures and a chance for precipitation as it crosses Alberta on Thursday and Friday.
If the sudden onset of pumpkin spice flavoured everything in the grocery store wasn’t enough of a reminder that autumn’s frost is creeping ever closer, this trough will make it clear that fall is fast approaching.
WATCH: Timing out the cold air and snow in Alberta through Friday
Cold northwesterly flow pouring over Alberta will send temperatures into the single digits for the Rockies and foothills by Thursday night. While freezing levels will remain high, the cold air will be just low enough to allow precipitation to fall as snow in the mountains west of Calgary.
It won’t amount to much more than a conversation starter, but some of the mountain peaks—including those at Sunshine Village—could see a dusting by Friday morning.
The good news for those who aren’t done with summer just yet is that summer isn’t done with Alberta just yet, either.
The ridge of high pressure bringing historic heat to the western United States will jut northward through the weekend, allowing hot temperatures to return to southern sections of the Prairies by early next week.
This week’s opportunity for mountain snow is a reminder that snow is not only possible in Alberta in September, but the province has seen wintry September thumpings in the not-too-distant past.
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A record snowstorm buried Calgary in almost 25 cm of snow on September 28, 2019, with up to 50 cm of snow reported down in Lethbridge. Another memorable snowfall blanketed parts of Alberta on September 8, 2014, when Calgary woke up to 11.4 cm of snow on the ground.
Thumbnail courtesy of Unsplash
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest on conditions in Alberta and across the country.
