It's about to feel like summer in Southern Alberta, with temperatures expected to climb over the next week.
Highs in the mid to high 20s are on the way starting this weekend, and continuing into next week.
The shift will bring the temperature a fair bit higher than what we'd normally see at this time of year.
"It's certainly well above average, but not unprecedented in terms of these types of temperatures and for this duration and the time of year," said Environment Canada Meteorologist Justin Shelley. "For the last week of May, typically the Foothills County region sees temperatures and daytime highs somewhere in the high teens on average by the time we get to the end of the month. Then overnight lows are closer to that five or six degree range."
Like the daytime temperatures, overnight lows will also shoot up, likely hitting the double digits a few times over the next week.
More rain could be on the way though, with a 60 per cent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm Thursday and into Friday evening, with potential for rainfall on Monday evening too.
"On Monday night, we are seeing a weak system move through central portions of the province that might extend further south into Foothills County on Monday night with the risk of some scattered showers and perhaps another isolated thunderstorm there along a cold front."
Despite that, the warmer temperatures will persist late into next week.
We could even see record-breaking highs in Okotoks.
"There is a chance for some daily records to be broken. I believe the May 29th record is probably the most likely at this point. The current record is 28.5 set back in 1995. Same for May 30th, 28.5 back in 1995 for the Okotoks region," said Shelley, though he did note that Okotoks' climatology database is relatively small, only dating back to 1990.
The long-term forecast shows overnight temperatures of at least 10 degrees over Tuesday and Wednesday night, which could present the risk of heat stroke.
"Under those conditions is when you start to worry about those heat illnesses and not being able to regulate your body temperature and not getting that big reprieve overnight," said Shelley. "But as of right now, we're still looking okay in that regard with those temperatures dropping down closer to 10 degrees, but certainly something we'll be monitoring as we head through the weekend and certainly into next week."