Josh Classen's forecast: Cold spell ends and brings freezing rain to northern Alberta

Ice on a tree branch. (File)

Freezing rain warnings are in effect for areas from Peace River east to Fort McMurray and south towards the Cold Lake/Bonnyville region.

We're expecting freezing rain to begin in the northwest by midday and makes it's way into northeast Alberta by this afternoon.

All of that precipitation should stay north of Edmonton today and tonight.

We'll get our snow (and possibly some rain or freezing rain) starting late Tuesday and carrying through Wednesday.

An upper ridge has developed over central and southern Alberta, bringing warm air aloft and with a punch of moisture riding along the northern edge of that ridge, we get that mixed precipitation or freezing rain risk for the areas outlined in the warning.

Fort McMurray could go either way with precipitation. It could be freezing rain...or it might stay all snow (in which case, several centimetres of heavy and wet snow could stack up later today and this evening).

The upper ridge has brought warmer air aloft, but it takes a little while for that to get mixed down to the surface.

For the Edmonton area, that means our warmest temperatures may actually come overnight and early Tuesday.

I think we'll get to the -5 C range this afternoon in the city, then around or slightly above 0 C overnight.

Temperatures should hold steady in the 1 to 5 C range through most of Tuesday, before starting to drop off late in the afternoon and evening.

By Wednesday, we'll briefly slip back into some cooler air before a lengthier warm spell takes over.

Daytime highs will likely be in the 1 to 5 C range for Thursday-Saturday. 

Snowfall totals are a bit uncertain for Tuesday night/Wednesday.

I think we could get 2 to 5 cm of heavy, wet snow before seeing it flip over to some mixed precipitation or freezing rain late in the day Wednesday.

 

Here's the forecast for Edmonton and area:

Today - Mostly cloudy.

Noon: -10

4pm: -4

 

Tonight - Partly cloudy.

Temperature rising overnight.

9pm: -1

Midnight: 2

 

Tuesday - Partly cloudy in the morning, Mostly cloudy in the afternoon.

Temperature falling in the afternoon.

7am: 2

Noon: 4

3pm: 2

6pm: -3

 

60% chance of snow in the evening and overnight.

 

Wednesday - Cloudy with periods of snow in the morning. Rain/snow mix in the afternoon.

Morning Low: -10

Afternoon High: -5

 

Thursday - Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers or rain/snow mix.

Morning Low: -6

Afternoon High: 4

 

Friday - Mix of sun & cloud.

Morning Low: -2

Afternoon High: 3

 

Saturday - Mix of sun & cloud.

Morning Low: -3

Afternoon High: 3