CALGARY -- The entire build for today's forecast stems from a weak cold front that traverses southern Alberta this morning. The immediate effects on Calgary — well, as I write this — 30 km/h gusts with a predominantly north track, but those gusts may bump briefly to 50 km/h. Because the air mass that is pushing through is a bit cooler than our current circumstances, they may trigger a weak band of flurries.

By this afternoon, our conditions work to calm again, buying us a few hours of sun and a potentially positive high.

A second wave of cooler air occurs late tonight, bringing cloud and another skiff of snow. Quantities throughout the next 24 hours across southern Alberta venture above 2 cm only in high elevations to the west. Calgary still looks to stay largely dry between both events.

Here's the five-day forecast:

Today:

  • Partly cloudy, blustery (40-50 km/h gusts from the north) chance for flurries
  • Daytime high: 2 C
  • Evening: clear, low -7 C

Thursday:

  • Mainly sunny
  • Daytime high: 4 C
  • Evening: clear, low -1 C

Friday:

  • Sunny
  • Daytime high: 5 C
  • Evening: clear, low -1 C

Saturday:

  • Mainly sunny
  • Daytime high: 4 C
  • Evening: clear, low -5 C

Sunday:

  • Sunny
  • Daytime high: 5 C
  • Evening: clear, low 1 C

Where are lightning strikes the most dense on earth? And why?

The first answer is Lake Maracaibo, in Venezuela. And it's not even close:

lightning strikes, density, Geology.com

Courtesy Geology.com

That chart is the number of lightning flashes per square kilometer per year. That's a lot of lightning! It works out to roughly 28 lightning strikes per minute over the area, roughly 300 nights per year.

The lake is quite warm, and differential heating against the surrounding landscape (plus an enclosed topography) create storms that are so high up, residents of the nearby city of Maracaibo often can't hear them. In 1595, the lightning thwarted a night-attack by Sir Francis Drake, too!    

I'm a sucker for a sunrise. Ron captured this magnificent view yesterday morning!

Calgary, sunrise, Nov. 25

You can submit your weather photos here.