Upcoming warm, dry conditions not helping drought conditions or wildfire risk
After a week centred around inconsistent weather conditions, Calgary will experience a reset and return to seasonal conditions over the weekend.
The large low-pressure system that brought cold and wet conditions into Alberta Tuesday and Wednesday is still the main driver of our current weather – despite this low being centred over central Canada. The outer edges of the system extend as far west as the Rockies, and the counter-clockwise circulation around the low continues to grab colder air from the north and drive it south into the foothills.
As a result, the daytime high in Calgary on Friday is forecast to be nine-degrees below seasonal and wind will be primarily from the north.
The large low-pressure system that brought cold and wet conditions into Alberta Tuesday and Wednesday is still the main driver of our current weather – despite this low being centred over central Canada.
By early next week the weather pattern is expected to shift and warmer air should flow over the southern Rockies, dropping moisture on the B.C. side (as per typical adiabatic processes) and allow warm, dry air to settle over southern Alberta.
In the transition period on Sunday there is a chance of light and scattered rain throughout the region, however precipitation totals are likely to remain low.
By early next week the weather pattern is expected to shift and warmer air should flow over the southern Rockies.
The moisture from last week offered some relief in terms of offsetting short-term drought conditions, but according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) most of Alberta is still far too dry.
In their April 5, 2024 report, the agency explains most of central and southern Alberta are under long-term drought conditions, with some areas having received less than 50 per cent of the expected moisture from the end of Sept. 2023 until the end of March 2024.
Some communities east of Highway 2/QEII saw slight improvements in the size of their driest areas, however as of the most current drought monitor map (to March 31, 2024) “drought intensity” classifications in this area range from D2 (one in 10 year event) to D4, or the worst rating, which is a one in 50 year event.
In their April 5, 2024 report, the agency explains most of central and southern Alberta are under long-term drought conditions, with some areas having received less than 50 per cent of the expected moisture from the end of Sept. 2023 until the end of March 2024.
The months of May, June, July have historically been the wettest months around the Calgary area, bringing in more than half of the annual moisture, however moisture stores (snow pack, soil moisture) are critical in offsetting water shortages.
According to the AAFC “Concern for water supplies remains as we move into the growing season with many reservoirs reporting significantly lower than normal levels this winter.“
Drought conditions in Northern Alberta declined at an even faster rate, which is contributing to concerns for the upcoming wildfire season.
In the wildfire update from April 18, 2024, Alberta Wildfire Information Manager Christie Tucker noted Alberta started the 2024 wildfire season with 64 wildfires still burning from last year, so “firefighters are entering this spring with a heavier fire load than usual.”
Twenty seven of those have been extinguished, leaving 37 holdover fires.
Tucker said drought conditions enhance wildfire risk as dry trees and grasses can burn – “particularly in the high winds [as of late].”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Jurors in Trump hush money trial hear recording of pivotal call on plan to buy affair story
Jurors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump heard a recording Thursday of him discussing with his then-lawyer and personal fixer a plan to purchase the silence of a Playboy model who has said she had an affair with the former president.
Captain sentenced to 4 years for criminal negligence in fiery deaths of 34 aboard scuba boat
A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel.
New scam targets Canada Carbon Rebate recipients
Fake text message and email campaigns trying to get money and information out of unsuspecting Canadian taxpayers have started circulating, just months after the federal government rebranded the carbon tax rebate the Canada Carbon Rebate.
Southern Alberta store broken into by burly black bear
Staff at a small southern Alberta office supply store were shocked to find someone had broken into the business last week, but they were even more confused when they discovered the culprit was a bear.
Triple murder or manslaughter? Sudbury jury deliberating fate of man responsible for fatal firebombing
After a lengthy series of instructions from Justice Dan Cornell, a Sudbury jury is deliberating whether to find a suspect guilty of three counts of manslaughter or three counts of murder.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.