Hot, dry weather this week adds to extreme fire danger risk

Daytime highs in southern Alberta are expected to hit the mid to high 20s Wednesday, with some locations in the southeast reaching temperatures as warm as 30 C.

This is concerning given - as of 7 a.m. May 7, 2025 - most of Alberta and Saskatchewan are rated as an “extreme” risk for wildfire.

Warm temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds are already creating challenging conditions for crews battling the wildfires across the province, especially in areas in the north half of Alberta.

A strong ridge of high pressure has been serving as the main weather-maker across the west to start the week, however a lee low from the north is starting to introduce instability along the north and western edges of that ridge.

Typical of this type of synoptic setup in May, there is a risk of a lighting and strong wind as that low pressure system interacts with the high, which is a problem.

Areas that have dried out under the recent unusually warm temperatures, will contribute to the available fuel load, and any new instability can cause rapid intensification of new and/or current fires.

Heavy rain is possible Wednesday in portions of northern Alberta and along the northern edge of the Rockies, which should prove to be (at least temporarily) helpful for current wildfires.

In Calgary, there is little risk of rain until the end of the weekend.

Daytime highs in Calgary will remain above the seasonal average of 15 C until early next week, with lows ranging form 5 C to 9 C, compared to the normal low value of 2 C.