Snowy start to the Easter weekend, double-digit highs to finish it off
As expected, Thursday began with a brief weather setback when a low-pressure system in central Alberta brought snow and mixed precipitation to the region.
Daytime highs (0 C in Calgary) happened early in the morning Thursday and north winds created a gap between the air temperature and the “feels like” temperature, with wind chill values around -8 to -10 for areas like Calgary, Drumheller and Brooks.
Impacts on travel were measurable throughout the morning on Thursday and likely to get worse.
Driving conditions continued to deteriorate Thursday, per 511 Alberta. Snow-covered and icy routes were reported in central and northern Alberta as of 10 a.m. March 28, 2024. (CTV News)
The 511 Alberta map showed road conditions in portions of the province as bare and dry at 7 a.m. and snow-covered and icy by 10 a.m., with corresponding 511 Alberta highway cameras reflecting winter-driving conditions.
Central Alberta highway cameras from 511 Alberta at 10 a.m., March 28, 2024. (CTV News)
As that low tracks south Thursday and amplifies the upsloping component, heavier snowfall accumulations are expected in some areas, including along major commuter corridors like the QEII and Yellowhead (Highway 16) highways.
Calgary is forecast to receive a total of two to four centimetres of snow on Thursday and Friday, compared to regions in central Alberta which are along the cold front.
A snowfall warning issued Friday for Hinton, Jasper and Nordegg had been dropped by 10 a.m., and no other weather advisories were in place in Alberta.
With the progression of this system, areas in southwestern Alberta – including the Highway 22 corridor – could also see higher snowfall rates late Thursday. That low is expected to remain problematic east of the province developing into an Alberta Clipper by the weekend.
Despite the widespread instability Thursday, Friday is forecast to be Calgary’s coldest day of the Easter weekend with a daytime high 11 C below average.
Sunshine will return on Saturday, as a strong ridge of high pressure enters B.C. and Alberta.
On Monday, Calgary’s daytime high will hit 10 C – the warmest temperature since mid-March – and Tuesday could easily hit 17 C.
Calgary's five-day forecast for March 28-April 1, 2024. (CTV News)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Dozens in Italy give a fascist salute on the anniversary of Mussolini's execution
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.