Josh Classen's forecast: July starts warm, with heat looming in long-range

An aerial image of Edmonton's Victoria Golf Course in the North Saskatchewan River valley, with downtown Edmonton and the High Level and Walterdale bridges visible in the background, taken on June 14, 2024. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton)

Temperatures should top out in the low to mid 20s in Edmonton over the next few days.

So...right around average for the start of July.

Sunshine this morning will give way to some afternoon clouds and a bit of wind today.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop across northern Alberta this afternoon/evening.

There's a chance we may see a shower or thunderstorm slide through the Edmonton region tonight.

Wednesday afternoon also features a chance of some showers/thunderstorms in or near the Edmonton area.

But...MOST of the day should be dry.

Beyond Wednesday - a dry pattern looks to be setting up for the end of the week and the coming weekend.

AND...temperatures are trending upwards by the weekend and early next week with daytime highs expected to be near 30 starting Sunday and continuing through the first half of next week.

That's subject to change, but it definitely doesn't look like we have any "cool" days coming anytime soon.

Tuesday's forecast high of 22 is the "coldest" forecast high in the next 5 to 10 days.

We'll have to keep an eye on the wildfire smoke situation.

Modelling suggests smoky conditions across northern Alberta over the next few days.

That smoke is primarily coming from fires burning in NE BC and NW Alberta, but there are also a cluster of fires in NE AB.

Whether the smoke travels far enough south to affect the Edmonton area remains uncertain, but it's definitely something we'll be keeping an eye on this week and beyond.

 

Here's the forecast for Edmonton and area:

 

Today - Sunny this morning. Mix of sun & cloud this afternoon.

Wind becoming NW 15-20 with 30-40 km/h gusts

High: 23

 

Tonight - Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of a shower or thunderstorm.

9pm: 20

 

Wednesday - Mix of sun & cloud. 30% chance of an afternoon shower, risk of a late-day thunderstorm.

Morning Low: 13

Afternoon High: 22

 

Thursday - Clearing in the morning, sunny in the afternoon.

Chance of some wildfire smoke blowing into the area from the north.

Morning Low: 14

Afternoon High: 24

 

Friday - Sunny with a few clouds.

Morning Low: 13

Afternoon High: 25

 

Saturday - Sunny with a few clouds.

Morning Low: 14

Afternoon High: 25

 

Sunday - Sunny.

Morning Low: 14

Afternoon High: 28