EDMONTON -- After 18 straight days below zero to start the month of February, we've now gone five straight with highs above freezing.

AND...we'll stretch that out to seven straight after today and tomorrow.

That's probably where this streak ends. Colder air is set to drop in for Friday and Saturday.

The question is: How much colder will it get?

More on that in a moment -- first let's deal with the warmer weather.

 

Sunny skies, light wind and a high in the 2 C to 4 C range in Edmonton today.

After a gusty day Tuesday, temperatures won't be any warmer today. But, the sun and lack of wind will help it FEEL warmer.

 

An upper ridge (bubble of warm air aloft) will ripple across the province tonight/tomorrow.

At the surface, a low pressure system moves into northwest Alberta early Thursday and we get a warm surface flow.

Both those factors should help boost temperatures to around 6 or 7 C in Edmonton tomorrow.

BUT...it won't be as sunny and we'll probably have some wind, especially later in the day.

 

Snow is expected across northern Alberta on Thursday and we get a chance of some flurries or light snow Thursday night and Friday.

This doesn't look (at this point) like it'll be a big dump of snow.

The bigger issue will be the drop in temperature Friday.

We'll likely hover around -10 much of the day with a high in the -6 to -10 range.

Areas in northeast and east-central AB will be much colder (highs in the -10 to -15 C range).

 

There's some uncertainty about how quickly we'll get out of the cold air.

But, I think Friday is Edmonton's coldest day. Saturday is a bit milder (high near -5 C).

Sunday should to around or (likely) above zero.

 

Eastern Alberta will probably stay in the cold air for a day or two longer.

Western Alberta won't feel as much of a bite from the arctic blast.

 

 

Here's the forecast for Edmonton:

 

Today - Mainly sunny. Light wind for most of the day.

High: 3

Tonight - Increasing cloud overnight.

9pm: -3

Overnight Low: -5

Temperature rising after midnight.

 

Thursday - Cloudy with a slight risk of a brief flurry early in the morning.

Sunny breaks midday. Increasing cloud late in the afternoon.

Wind: W 20 gusting to 40 km/h

7am: -3

Afternoon High: 6

 

60% chance of flurries in the evening and/or overnight.

 

Friday - Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of flurries or light snow.

Morning Low: -11

Afternoon High: -8

 

Saturday - Partly cloudy.

Morning Low: -13

Afternoon High: -4

 

Temperature rising overnight.

 

Sunday - Mix of sun & cloud.

Morning: -3

Afternoon High: 1

 

Monday - Mix of sun & cloud.

Morning Low: -7

Afternoon High: 4