Rollercoaster weather in store for Calgary this long weekend

From heat warnings to thunderstorms to rain, a lot could be happening on the weather front for this August long weekend in Calgary.

Starting off with Friday, the city remains under a ridge of high pressure which will keep conditions mainly sunny and hot throughout the day.

Calgary will reach a daytime high of 29 C, keeping us under a heat warning until at least Saturday.

A map showing heat warnings and air quality advisories in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan on August 2, 2024. (CTV News)

Air quality could be an issue today.

The air quality health index for Calgary is forecast to get into the moderate health risk category in the afternoon, while areas like Claresholm, Okotoks and Medicine Hat are already under an Air Quality Alert as smoke tracks into those areas from the fires burning in the central foothills.

Saturday will start out calm and sunny in Calgary, but we start to see the jetstream tilt in such a way that storm convection could develop along the foothills in the early afternoon.

These storm cells have the potential to grow and track over Calgary and Highway 2 south by around 4:30 p.m., with more organized cell development forming east of the city.

If the models hold up, these storms could trigger some watches and warnings throughout southern Alberta on Saturday afternoon and evening.

Sunday is when this heat event really starts to break down and more clouds will start to push into the city bringing the potential for scattered showers and cooler temperatures.

That weather trend is looking to continue into the holiday Monday and next week.

Five-day forecast for Calgary from August 2 to 6, 2024. (CTV News)

It’s not a great forecast for those heading to the great outdoors, but the transition to wetter, cooler weather will be a big benefit to the wildfire fight in the Rockies.