Huge hail shreds gardens as Saturday night storm smashes Calgary communities

It started out as a smoky day in Calgary, but shortly after dinner Saturday night, a number of communities saw a sweep of very stormy weather.

Heavy rains accompanied by large, golf ball-sized hail smashed into gardens and landed in yards, particularly in the west part of the city, in neighbourhoods such as Riverbend and Bankview.

A home in the Calgary community of Riverbend was hit with hail Saturday night, which the homeowners said caused sustained property and siding damage. (Photo courtesy K&L Bratberg)

Thunder crashed overhead in the southwest, and there was pooling water in some areas, including along Macleod Trail near Chinook Centre.

At the Stampede, the chuckwagon races were swamped, turning the track into a giant mud puddle halfway through the nights' heats.

 

 

 

 

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No one was hurt, but the times of the mud runners were significantly slower, resulting in the stunning elimination of Chanse Vigen, who raced in the night's final heat, where the times were more than three seconds slower than in the earlier heats because of the muddy track.