We are mere days away from the holiday break in Alberta, and the forecast is hinting at a big blast of warmth coming our way, leading us right up to Christmas Eve.
We all want to know if we’re going to be feeling like penguins in Antarctica or shovelling the holiday break away, and that’s why Daily Hive caught up with Justin Shelley, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), on what Albertans should expect on the final week until Christmas Day.
Shelley said the blast of cold air that is hugging most of northern and central Alberta is due to an Alberta Clipper moving through, bringing heavy snow to central parts of the province today, and will be moving out this evening.
“Behind it, there will still be cooler temperatures, but a warm-up will start on Friday. Friday night into Saturday, we will start to see a widespread warm-up across the region and last into next week,” Shelley said.
The warm-up over the weekend and into early next week is due to an upper ridge of high pressure over the province. This pressure will keep temperatures nice and toasty and block any active weather from entering the region.
Parts of southern Alberta may even experience double-digit temperatures over the weekend and stay above zero until Christmas Day.
As for Edmonton and Calgary, Shelley said temperatures will start to fluctuate a bit closer to Christmas Day itself, but YYC will be looking at temperatures at least seasonal, if not slightly above seasonal, while YEG temperatures could be within a degree or two above zero on Christmas Day.
“Enjoy the warm-up we are set to have across the region,” Shelley said, adding that motorists and pedestrians should be mindful of the freeze-thaw cycle some areas of the province are about to endure, which can make for some icy conditions from time to time.
Check out the forecasts for Calgary and Edmonton below. In the days before Christmas Eve, both cities are expected to experience a string of daytime highs.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada
According to ECCC, the average maximum high YYC gets to this time of year is -2°C and a minimum low of -14°C, while YEG has an average maximum high of -6°C and a minimum low of -15°C.
With Christmas in mind, we rounded up what’s open and closed in Calgary and Edmonton on the special day. If you find yourself celebrating the holidays alone this year, we also have your back with a roundup of things to do in YYC and YEG.