Prairie Weather (Rural Roots Canada) – Weather pattern flips; warm, dry conditions return
A change in the weather pattern will remove the prairies from a cool, wet weather regime into a period of hot and dry weather. An upper ridge of high pressure will build over the prairies on the weekend. This will keep the sky mainly clear in most areas starting Saturday, and provide several days of sunshine and hot weather through next week. It’s early to be sure, but there are some signals the pattern will flip to cool and wet again in early June.
Thursday
Alberta
Non severe thunderstorms are likely in Alberta Thursday, north of Calgary. There doesn’t appear to be enough fuel to make the storms severe, but watch the sky, and keep yourself safe from lightning. The storms could develop over a wide area – it’s almost impossible to narrow down any specific target locations. It won’t be a particularly hot day, with highs across most of the province only reaching the mid to high teens.
Saskatchewan
Bright sunshine and warmer weather finally return to Saskatchewan on Thursday. Temperatures will reach the 16 to 21 degree range across the province. Farmers who’ve had to delay seeding due to the wet weather earlier in the week can get back onto the fields. The warmer, 20 degree weather will occur in east central regions. There may be enough instability in that area to generate some afternoon showers and perhaps weak thunderstorms northwest of Saskatoon, but it doesn’t look like there will be a threat of severe weather.
Manitoba
Manitoba’s quiet weather week continues on Thursday, with sunshine, and no significant weather. Highs across the province will fall in the 15 to 18 degree range.
Friday
Alberta
Friday’s weather in Alberta will be similar to what happened Thursday. Areas that received fog early Thursday morning can expect it again early Friday. And, non-severe thunderstorms are again expected over a wide area north of Calgary. The storms are not likely to become severe. This instability is due to a lingering inverted surface trough, which will remain in Alberta just east of the Rockies until Saturday. Once it’s gone, the weather pattern flips, and it becomes more stable, sunnier, and warmer. Temperatures in southern and central Alberta will reach the high teens Friday afternoon, with even warmer weather in northern Alberta. North of Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray, temperatures should reach the low 20s.
Saskatchewan
The atmosphere over Western Saskatchewan will be a bit unstable Friday, leading to a good chance of convective showers or afternoon thundershowers, especially in the southwestern corner of the province. The rest of Saskatchewan should stay dry, and remain mainly sunny. It will be near perfect planting weather, with a southeast breeze, and afternoon highs between 15 and 20 in most agricultural regions. In the forests to the north, it will be even warmer, with highs in the low to mid 20s. And, if the showers and storms develop as expected in southwestern Saskatchewan, high temperatures will be limited to the 10-15 degree range.
Manitoba
The large High pressure system that has spent the week over Hudson Bay still refuses to move, so Manitoba will have another dry, warm day. Highs across almost the entire province will reach 15 to 20 degrees, though it will be cooler along the Hudson Bay shore. Across the agricultural south, there will be a light to moderate east wind.
Saturday
On Saturday, and through the weekend, there is a flip in the weather pattern. There will be a change from a period of cool, wet weather to sunny, and sometimes hot weather. This will carry on into next week. There are signals that we’ll flip back to a cool, wet pattern during the first week of June.
Alberta
Overnight showers and non-severe thunderstorms across the province will end by sunrise, and the rest of Saturday will be dry, sunny and warm And upper ridge of high pressure will build over the prairies, and Saturday will be the first of several days of dry, stable weather. This keeps the planting window open as farmers work to finish the job. Highs in the 20-25 degree range can be expected throughout Alberta Saturday.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba
The upper level high that builds over the prairies on the weekend will provide plenty of sunshine to Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well. Saturday’s sky will be sunny, the wind will be light out of the southeast, and temperatures will rise to the mid 20s in Saskatchewan, and the high teens to low 20s in Manitoba. While it’s perfect weather for completing seeding operations, it’s not helpful for the volatile fire situation, particularly in Manitoba.
Sunday
Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
The strong upper ridge of high pressure that developed Saturday, will keep the prairie sky clear throughout Sunday. No active weather is expected in any of the three prairie provinces. Wind in Alberta and Saskatchewan will come from the south, and in Manitoba, from the east. The surface high that’s been over Hudson Bay all week is still there Sunday, providing the easterly wind for southern Manitoba. The temperature map below indicates it will feel like summer on the prairies this weekend. The map is valid Sunday afternoon.
In Alberta on Sunday, expect highs in the mid to high 20s, with temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There is a possibility of 30 degree temperatures in Wood Buffalo, in northeastern Alberta.
