A thunderstorm that rolled through Cochrane Monday night brought plenty of lightning and heavy rain, but it wasn’t classified as severe.
A heavy downpour and frequent lightning lit up the skies just before 7 p.m., rattling the community for about an hour. Vehicles navigated through pooled water, and large puddles formed throughout town. Once the storm passed, residents were treated to a stunning sunset before the clouds rolled back in.
Eric Van Lochem, an operational meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says the storm was part of a line of thunderstorms that developed along the foothills and tracked eastward along the Highway 1 corridor.
“Certainly a strong thunderstorm, but probably not overly severe by any stretch of the imagination,” said Van Lochem. “There were downpours and lots of lightning, but no major hail or flooding was reported.”
While dramatic to watch, the storm followed a wetter-than-average pattern that has soaked the region through July. Van Lochem says rainfall recorded at Calgary Olympic Park—one of the closest gauges to Cochrane—shows 183.5 mm so far this month, roughly double the long-term average.
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The good news, he says, is that the extra moisture helps reduce the risk of wildfires and drought conditions in the area.
As for what’s next, Van Lochem says Cochrane can expect a break from the rain, although there remains a 30 per cent chance of showers and a thunderstorm late this afternoon.
“The next few days look fairly warm and sunny, with temperatures rising into the high 20s and possibly hitting 30,” he said. “There’s a slight chance of a late-day thunderstorm, but nothing looks particularly severe or organized at this point.”
