Josh Classen's forecast: Steady, soaking rain tonight and Tuesday

An aerial image of downtown Edmonton, including the CN Tower, Epcor Tower, and home of the Edmonton Oilers, Rogers Place, on May 2, 2024. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton)

A few showers moved through the Edmonton region early this morning, but it looks like the real rain event will start tonight.

We'll just be cloudy through most of today and temperatures should get to the mid-teens for an afternoon high.

Steady rain rolls in this evening or overnight and continues throughout the day Tuesday before tapering off Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

By then, it looks like we'll get at least 20 mm and possibly closer to 50 mm of rain in the city and surrounding areas.

Rainfall warnings are in effect for areas around Red Deer and east to the Saskatchewan border as well as the Drumheller region and southeastern Alberta.

Between 50 and 80 mm of rain is expected in most of that warning zone, but I think Red Deer will probably end up at the lower end of that range.

The largest rainfall totals will probably be in an area from around Viking southeast through the Coronation area and down toward Medicine Hat.

Some of the modelling suggest over 100 mm of rain is possible by Tuesday night (that's about 4 inches in 48 hours).

Aside from the rain, it'll be a cool and gusty day Tuesday with the temperature holding steady near 8 C most of the day and gusts in the 50 to 60km/h range.

By Wednesday, we start to warm up again and the wind should back off.

Looking LONG range: Temperatures are expected to climb into the low to mid 20s for Friday and the coming weekend.

 

Here's the forecast for Edmonton and area:

Today - A few showers early this morning. Then...Mostly cloudy.

High: 15

 

Tonight - Cloudy with showers/periods of rain. 10-20mm likely.

9pm: 12

 

Tuesday - Periods of rain. 15-30mm likely.

Wind: NW 30 gusting to 50 km/h.

Morning Low: 7

Afternoon High: 9

 

Wednesday - Cloudy. 30% chance of rain in the morning. Clearing in the afternoon.

Morning Low: 5

Afternoon High: 14

 

Thursday - Mainly sunny

Morning Low: 7

Afternoon High: 18

 

Friday - Mainly sunny.

Morning Low: 8

Afternoon High: 24

 

Saturday - Partly cloudy.

Morning Low: 9

Afternoon High: 22