The combination of sunshine, unusually warm temperatures and chinook winds, caused rapid melting across southern Alberta Monday, a situation that will continue over the next week.
As expected, some surfaces were left with a layer of ice and/or mud where pooling occurred over a ground where absorption rates were unable match the melt rate.
Most of the snow cover in and around Calgary has been eliminated due to the recent warm weather.
On Monday, the daytime high in Calgary was 10 C, which is nine degrees warmer than average, and the daily low temperature was 0 C compared to the average low of -11 C.
This trend will continue for most of this week with daytime highs ranging from 9 C to 13 C until Saturday, and overnight lows between -2 C to 3 C.
Chinook winds will be measurable again on Tuesday, further enhancing evaporative processes across southern Alberta due to the dry nature of these air masses on the leeward side (in this case the Alberta side) of a mountain range.
On Monday, peak gusts across southern Alberta measured close to 60 km/h in Calgary and Lethbridge, 70 km/h in Pincher Creek and nearly 90 km/h at Waterton Park Gate.
A similar setup on Tuesday will produce constant and sustained west winds in Calgary of 20 km/h with gusts closer to 40 km/h.
In the southwest corner of the province winds will be stronger, especially near Pincher Creek, Crowsnest Pass, Waterton and Lethbridge.
