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Wind warnings issued along the foothills ahead of cooldown tomorrow

Wind warnings (purple), rainfall warnings (green) and a special weather statement (pink) issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada on Sept. 25, 2024. Wind warnings (purple), rainfall warnings (green) and a special weather statement (pink) issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada on Sept. 25, 2024.
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Strong westerly winds will continue to impact southern Alberta on Wednesday with peak gusts in Calgary of 40-60 km/h expected later in the day.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued wind warnings for Canmore, Kananaskis, Claresholm, Pincher Creek, Waterton and Fort Macleod, as areas closer to the Rockies and in the southwest corner of the province, will experience stronger sustained winds and also gusts.

Peak gusts west of Calgary could reach 90 km/h with peak gusts in the southwest corner of the province as high as 100 km/h.

ECCC issued a rainfall warning on the northwestern side of the mountains because of heavy rain from a prolific atmospheric river that brought over 120 millimetres of rain into some coastal locations in B.C. from Sunday night to Tuesday morning.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, a widespread special weather statement remained along the southern border of most of B.C. due to the potential for “late season thunderstorms” to develop.

The greatest threats include heavy rain, pooling, flooding, “a heightened risk of debris flows over areas impacted by burn scars,” and “[v]ery strong wind gusts leading to potential broken tree limbs and power outages.”

All of these advisories are linked to a change in weather patterns as the ridge of high pressure that pushed temperatures 10-12 C above seasonal for the start of the week, gets replaced by a deepening low pressure system.

The frontal edge associated with that low will cause winds to intensify overnight and the daytime high on Thursday will be notably cooler than Wednesday, but still warmer than average.

Scattered showers and non-severe thunderstorms are possible in central and northern Alberta on Wednesday.

Rain is also possible Thursday in southern Alberta – with accumulations expected to remain low.

Despite a cooldown, the temperatures for the rest of the week in Calgary will remain above seasonal, with another change forecast for the end of the weekend.

On Sunday and Monday, daytime highs will be below average and lows will be closer to freezing in some communities.

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