Ready, Alberta? Abundant sunshine, warmth arriving to end August
A summer of mostly seasonable temperatures will end on a warmer note heading into next week
Change is coming to Alberta and warm-weather lovers are in luck.
Meteorological summer ends with the close of August, and it looks like we’re on track for widespread above-seasonal temperatures to round out the month—not entirely unwelcome after one of our coolest and wettest summers in years.
Enjoy it while it lasts, though. Signals indicate that the warmup may not last through the first half of September.
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This summer has featured fairly average temperatures across the province, especially during the month of July.
Calgary is in the midst of its second-coolest summer in the past decade, with an average daytime high temperature between June 1 and Aug. 21 sitting at 21.6°C. It’s tough to beat the 18.5°C average high set during the frigid summer of 1951.
What’s on tap for the end of August?
A ridge of high pressure developing this weekend will bring an abundance of sunshine across the province heading into next week. Southerly winds will send temperatures soaring well above seasonal for this time of year.
Expect readings anywhere between 5 and 10 degrees above seasonal for the duration of the warmup. Next week’s average temperature in Calgary is forecast to come in around 26.9°C, and a little warmer up in Edmonton with an average reading of 27.4°C.
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Abundant sunshine will stifle precipitation across the region. While that’s good for folks looking forward to nice weather, the fire danger will increase with the dry and warm conditions.
Looking ahead, variable conditions are on the horizon heading into the beginning of September. Seasonal temperatures will arrive to start, followed by more ridging that could boost temperatures once again. A decline in temperatures may arrive for the second week of the month.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from Canva.