Spring is arriving with a surprise warm-up in Airdrie, with daytime temperatures expected to climb well into the double digits over the next several days.
Despite March’s reputation as the snowiest month of the year in the Calgary-Airdrie region, the short-term forecast is leaning mild — at least for now.
"We’re looking at highs between 10 and 14 degrees starting Sunday and continuing into next week," said Danielle Desjardins, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
That’s well above seasonal norms, which hover around 6 C during the day and drop to about –7 C overnight.
With those warmer highs, Desjardins said any snow that falls over the next few days likely won’t stick.
"There is a low chance of showers or flurries in the short term, but even if we do see a few flakes, I wouldn’t expect anything to stay on the ground," she said.
As of Friday morning, Airdrie’s local forecast was calling for a 30 per cent chance of showers or flurries Friday evening under partly cloudy skies. Saturday is expected to start sunny, with a mix of sun and cloud moving in by late afternoon — and another slight chance of flurries or showers later in the day.
Desjardins said the next more "organized" weather system is expected late next week, likely between Thursday and Friday. That could bring more precipitation — rain or snow, depending on temperatures.
And while the warming trend is welcome, she cautioned that Airdrie isn’t done with snow just yet.
"March is typically the snowiest month of the year in the Calgary-Airdrie area. April is the second snowiest," she said. "We could still see more snowfall before we’re fully into spring, but with highs in the teens, anything light probably won’t last."
The milder pattern comes after a notably cold February, particularly across southern Alberta.
In Calgary, the average temperature last month was –12.2 C — well below the typical –7.6 C.
"That’s a pretty significant departure," said Desjardins. "It wasn’t the coldest February on record, but it was definitely colder than average, especially across the Prairies."
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