Medicine Hat heat warning could stretch to 11 days before a weekend cooldown

He said heat warnings in the region more commonly last four or five days before weather patterns shift.

While Medicine Hat has experienced daytime highs in the low to mid-30s during the current heat wave, Proctor noted the city’s record temperatures for this time of year remain higher.

Records for July 30 and 31 stand at 38.9 C, set in 1914 and 1929, respectively, while Aug. 1’s record is 39.4 C, set in 1968.

With a high of 39 in the forecast for Saturday, there is the potential for a weather record.

The prolonged heat is expected to ease late Saturday as a cold front moves through southern Alberta.

Proctor said temperatures should fall to about 26 C on Sunday and 21 C on Monday, with the potential for showers and thunderstorms accompanying the change in weather, even though they weren’t in the forecast yet as of Thursday morning.

“Watch the weather on the weekend,” Proctor said.

“It could get very interesting when that front comes through. We could see some thunderstorm activity associated with it. It could be potentially severe.”

The cooler conditions are expected to be short-lived, with temperatures climbing back into the low 30s during the first full week of August.

The current weather pattern has also brought intermittent smoke to southeastern Alberta.

Proctor said much of it has been drifting north from wildfires burning in the U.S. Pacific Northwest rather than from fires in northern Alberta.

“We’re getting fumigated a bit from the fires that are in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and Idaho, and also a little bit from British Columbia,” Proctor said.

He adds that smoke conditions may briefly improve after the weekend cold front before wildfire activity is expected to increase again as hotter weather returns to British Columbia and the northwestern United States.

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat heat warning could stretch to 11 days before a weekend cooldown

Our Community