Close to 40 locations across Alberta had high temperature records set on Wednesday. (Image Credit: Ridd/Dreamstime)

By Jesse Gill, Jett Schwaier

Weather Record

Medicine Hat breaks 95-year-old temperature record on Wednesday, as several records fall in the Prairies

Jan 15, 2026 | 7:57 AM

Temperatures across the Prairie provinces were higher than normal on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2026, as several records were broken, according to Environment Canada, including a 95-year-old one in Medicine Hat.

The city reached a high of 14.4°C, a full five degrees higher than the previous record of 9.4°C set all the way back in 1931.

Records in Medicine Hat have been kept since 1883.

Bow Island was even warmer at 16.7°C, bettering the mark set 20 years earlier in 2006 at 10.6°C.

Records in Bow Island have been kept since 1961.

In the Community

Medicine Hat Public Library to host March Book Sale

9h ago

What's On

Top five things to do at the Medicine Hat Public Library in March

Mar 01, 2026

What's On

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: February 27-March 1

Feb 27, 2026

Brooks reached a high of 15.8°C, up slightly from the 13.3°C mark set 84 years ago in 1942.

Records in Brooks have been kept since 1912.

In Saskatchewan, Maple Creek reached 15.4°C, breaking the 2008 high of 13.5°C, and nearby Cypress Hills Provincial Park reached 14.2°C; the previous mark of 9.5°C was set in 1986.

Records in Maple Creek have been kept since 1915, and in Cypress Hills Provincial Park since 1918.

Almost 40 high temperature records were set in Alberta on Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.

Environment Canada meteorologist, James Colangelo, says this is due to a significant Chinook event happening in Alberta.

“We had a really big warm air mass that made its way onto the Pacific coast and that kind of snuck into western Canada, so a lot of that warm air is being pushed up,” Colangelo said.

“In combination with a strong upper-level wind across the Rocky Mountains, and what that’s doing is condensing all the moisture out on the BC side of the mountains,” he added.

“Then that dry air is really warming up and causing really warm conditions for Alberta, that’s what we were seeing.”

Colangelo said this weather event has definitely made its way into the history books.

“You do see these types of events sometimes in the winter months, but this was a particularly strong event, so that’s why we’re seeing all these really warm temperatures that were broken.”

Here is a summary of the remaining temperature records set across Alberta on Wednesday, starting with the warmest location.

CLARESHOLM AREA

New record of 19.5°C

Old record of 13.8°C set in 2008

Records in this area have been kept since 1951

MILK RIVER AREA

New record of 17.8°C

Old record of 11.0°C set in 2006

Records in this area have been kept since 1994

LETHBRIDGE AREA

New record of 17.5°C

Old record of 13.3°C set in 1942

Records in this area have been kept since 1902

CARDSTON AREA

New record of 17.3°C

Old record of 14.9°C set in 2019

Records in this area have been kept since 1918

CALGARY AREA

New record of 16.9°C

Old record of 11.2°C set in 2004

Records in this area have been kept since 1881

SUNDRE AREA

New record of 16.8°C

Old record of 12.5°C set in 2008

Records in this area have been kept since 1993

STAVELY AREA

New record of 16.5°C

Old record of 14.1°C set in 2019

Records in this area have been kept since 1914

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE AREA

New record of 16.3°C

Old record of 12.2°C set in 1968

Records in this area have been kept since 1915

NORDEGG AREA

New record of 16.3°C

Old record of 11.7°C set in 1968

Records in this area have been kept since 1915

BOW VALLEY (PROVINCIAL PARK) AREA

New record of 15.1°C

Old record of 12.2°C set in 1965

Records in this area have been kept since 1928

WATERTON PARK AREA

New record of 14.4°C

Old record of 11.1°C set in 2019

Records in this area have been kept since 1976

EDSON AREA

New record of 14.3°C

Old record of 10.1°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1916

PINCHER CREEK AREA

New record of 13.2°C

Old record of 11.7°C set in 1973

Records in this area have been kept since 1893

HENDRICKSON CREEK AREA

New record of 12.8°C

Old record of 9.9°C set in 2004

Records in this area have been kept since 1995

STONY PLAIN AREA

New record of 12.5°C

Old record of 8.0°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1966

ATHABASCA AREA

New record of 11.9°C

Old record of 9.2°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1900

BARRHEAD AREA

New record of 11.7°C

Old record of 9.4°C set in 1965

Records in this area have been kept since 1912

EDMONTON AREA

New record of 11.6°C

Old record of 8.3°C set in 1942

Records in this area have been kept since 1880

DRUMHELLER AREA

New record of 11.4°C

Old record of 9.1°C set in 2008

Records in this area have been kept since 1923

LAC LA BICHE AREA

New record of 11.2°C

Old record of 8.5°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1944

SLAVE LAKE AREA

New record of 11.2°C

Old record of 9.8°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1922

FORT MCMURRAY AREA

New record of 11.0°C

Old record of 6.9°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1908

CROWSNEST AREA

New record of 10.9°C

Old record of 8.5°C set in 1994

Records in this area have been kept since 1965

RED EARTH CREEK AREA

New record of 10.9°C

Old record of 7.9°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1994

MILDRED LAKE AREA

New record of 10.7°C

Old record of 5.2°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1965

JASPER AREA

New record of 10.5°C

Old record of 8.9°C set in 1968

Records in this area have been kept since 1916

RED DEER AREA

New record of 9.8°C

Old record of 9.3°C set in 2008

Records in this area have been kept since 1904

WAINWRIGHT AREA

New record of 9.5°C

Old record of 5.3°C set in 1999

Records in this area have been kept since 1966

ELK ISLAND (NATIONAL PARK) AREA

New record of 9.4°C

Old record of 7.0°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1966

CAMROSE AREA

New record of 8.8°C

Old record of 7.0°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1921

COLD LAKE AREA

New record of 8.7°C

Old record of 6.4°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1952

GRANDE PRAIRIE AREA

New record of 8.7°C

Old record of 8.6°C set in 2014

Records in this area have been kept since 1922

VEGREVILLE AREA

New record of 7.8°C

Old record of 5.4°C set in 1999

Records in this area have been kept since 1918

PEACE RIVER AREA

New record of 6.9°C

Old record of 6.1°C set in 2025

Records in this area have been kept since 1907

LLOYDMINSTER AREA

New record of 6.1°C

Old record of 5.4°C set in 1986

Records in this area have been kept since 1952

FORT CHIPEWYAN AREA

New record of 6.0°C

Old record of 3.0°C set in 1999

Records in this area have been kept since 1883