Warnings issued ahead of intense winter storm that could bring over 30 cm of snow

Change in fortunes for Calgary later Thursday. Jodi Hughes has a look at the five-day forecast from the Sky Watch Weather Centre.

The start of Thursday will be very different from the end, and as of 6 a.m. large portions of Alberta and B.C. sit under some form of weather advisory.

Near Calgary, yellow warnings for wind have been issued for the southwest corner of Alberta with Environment and Climate Change Canada explaining, “Wind gusts of up to 110 km/h are expected today. West winds will strengthen early this morning, peak during the morning and afternoon hours, and diminish by early Friday morning.”

In Calgary, sustained wind speeds will peak around 40 to 60 km/h with gusts that could be even stronger.

Initially, the wind will be from the west but in the evening will shift to the north as a frontal system moves in.

West and north of Calgary yellow-level snowfall warnings have been issued with the national weather agency advising, “Heavy snowfall with total amounts of 15 to 30 cm is expected tonight and Friday. Snowfall will begin over west central Alberta this evening. Snowfall will intensify early Friday morning and continue through the day.”

Calgary will see snow start later Thursday evening with the bulk of precipitation falling Friday.

The total accumulation will likely be between five to 10 centimetres, but some communities could see higher amounts.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Calgary was not under any warnings, however the city is forecast to sit just on the edge of intense snowfall so it is possible Calgary could see more snow than our initial forecast is suggesting.

The combination of warm temperatures Thursday, which will create warm surface temperatures and assist in rapid melting, followed by intense and cold north wind and then more snow will make the Friday morning commute quite challenging.

In some areas pooled water will ice up before being covered by a layer of snow, so surfaces like roadways, parking lots, sidewalks and pathways may be deceivingly slick.

Visibility is also going to be compromised across central and southern Alberta with strong wind and falling snow.

This will especially be an issue in areas around the capital region, and snow squall watches and warnings have been issued there.

Temperatures will fall quickly as this system tracks south across the province.

In Calgary, the low on Thursday is expected to be around -8 C, which will also be the daytime high on Friday. It’s a difference of 18 degrees for daytime highs from Thursday to Friday.

The good news is this cold will be short-lived and warmer air will edge into southern Alberta by the end of the weekend.

Starting Sunday, daytime highs in Calgary will range from 3 C to 8 C for at least a week, with lows of -6 C to 1 C.

The normal high in Calgary this time of year is 1 C with a low of -11 C.