The heat warning will linger, the smoke advisory stays away
A weekend article? Well, I'm here Saturday evening, so why not!
I hope your long weekend, should you have one, is off to a resplendent start. Yes, the sky is still smoky. No, I'm afraid there really aren't enough forces to remove it. Yes, relief is on the way.
Feel free to skip down to the "your five-day" if you wish. Or, stick around for some science.
Let's begin with a chart.
See what I see?
I've explained these before, but for our article newcomers (welcome!), that's an Omega Block; it's an upper-atmospheric blocking pattern (a low, a high, then another low) that limits change in our weather pattern, by merit of reducing the west-to-east flow and forcing the lion's share of air to cycle the long way around the central ridge. It doesn't fully align with the jet (that's the black line I didn't draw on here, which has us firmly under a massive ridge – then there's the embedded low off the Pacific), but it's sticking around and peaking tomorrow.
This building ridge has several key effects; first, it's shoveling the majority of new smoke northward and into Central Alberta. Second, it's forcing air aloft to linger near the surface, so our smoke layer is lingering like an annoying party guest. Third, it's limiting our wind, so said annoying party guest doesn't realize it wasn't invited. Lastly, it's forcing air from down south into our neck of the woods, and at its peak tomorrow, we hit our apex temperature of this little heat wave.
While the first point there benefits Southern Albertans, it doesn't bode well for our mountain parks, which will once again be inundated with a layer of smoke by merit of their downwind position.
Air quality in Calgary is likely to remain largely stable over the remainder of the long weekend, with no forces increasing or decreasing our air quality value from the 3-5 we've been experiencing for the past couple of days; it's too much for a lovely, blue sky, and not enough for an air quality advisory.
We'll take it.
We'll also stop paying our sprinklers overtime and take a shot at showers, which should form up late this week.
Your five-day:
Today:
- Partly cloudy
- Daytime high: 31 C
- Evening: mainly clear, low 19 C
Monday:
- Mostly cloudy
- Daytime high: 28 C
- Evening: some cloud, low 16 C
Tuesday:
- Partly cloudy
- Daytime high: 28 C
- Evening: mainly clear, low 15 C
Wednesday:
- Partly cloudy
- Daytime high: 28 C
- Evening: some cloud, low 13 C
Thursday:
- Rain
- Daytime high: 23 C
- Evening: showers, low 12 C
The pic of the day comes in from Barry in Valley Ridge! Lots of great shots have come in catching all angles of these beautiful, red sunsets.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.