Josh Classen's forecast: Hot weather spills into the weekend

Sunny and hot for the Edmonton region and the rest of central Alberta today.

I'm going with a high of 29 C, but 30 C or maybe even 31 C is possible.

No shot at a record -- we'd have to beat 34.4 C (from 1935) and that doesn't look possible.

 

Across the north, temperatures will be in the low to mid 20s in the northwest and mid to upper 20s in the northeast.

Showers and thunderstorms will push across parts of the Peace Country/Slave Lake/Whitecourt regions later today.

Those will then track into northeastern Alberta tonight.

 

As the fine folks at the Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre note, there's plenty of energy for storms in and around the Edmonton region.

However, it looks like we're missing a trigger and the area appears to be "capped" with warm enough air aloft to prevent storms from developing.

 

Saturday evening/night is the best chance for the Edmonton region to get some showers and thunderstorms.

Even that doesn't look like a GUARANTEE.

But...we'll get into the mid to upper 20s in the afternoon. Then, if we're going to see some precipitation, the most likely time is between 6 p.m. and midnight.

 

Sunday should be slightly "cooler" with a high in the 23/24 C range. That's right around average for mid July.

Skies will clear in the morning and we'll be sunny in the afternoon.

 

Long-range outlook: Still likely that we have afternoon highs in the mid to upper 20s for all of next week.

 

Here's the forecast for Edmonton and area:

 

Today - Sunny with a few clouds.

High: 29

 

Tonight - A few clouds.

9pm: 26

 

Saturday - Sunny in the morning. Increasing cloud later in the day.

60% chance of a late-afternoon or early-evening shower or thunderstorm.

Morning Low: 16

Afternoon High: 27

 

Sunday - Clearing in the morning. Then...Sunny.

Morning Low: 15

Afternoon High: 24

 

Monday - Mainly sunny.

Morning Low: 14

Afteroon High: 25

 

Tuesday - Partly cloudy. 30% chance of a late-day shower or thunderstorm.

Morning Low: 14

Afternoon High: 25

 

Wednesday - Mainly sunny.

Morning Low: 11

Afternoon High: 24