With two weeks to go before the Labour Day long weekend, Airdrie is heading into a stretch of late-summer sunshine before the long-range forecasters take over with mixed predictions for fall and winter.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is calling for a mix of sun and cloud Monday with a 30 per cent chance of showers this afternoon and a risk of a thunderstorm. The high is expected to reach 23 C with a UV index of 6.
Tuesday will bring sunshine early in the day before clouds build in the afternoon, with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm. The high is forecast at 26 C with a humidex of 28.
Wednesday will turn much cooler, with a high of only 14 C and a 60 per cent chance of showers. Clearer conditions return Thursday with sunshine and a high of 19 C, followed by 22 C Friday and 26 C Saturday.
Sunday is also expected to stay sunny with a high of 26 C.
The Weather Network outlook shows near-identical conditions, with 26 C Tuesday, 20 C with showers Wednesday, then mainly sunny highs around 20 C Thursday and Friday. Sunshine builds through the weekend, climbing to 24 C Saturday and 27 C Sunday, and holding near 27 C into Monday, Aug. 25.
Its extended forecast calls for clear skies and highs in the 23–27 C range through Aug. 31, before a windy Labour Day Monday (Sept. 1) with a high of 22 C and a 40 per cent chance of evening showers.
That means Airdronians can expect a dry, comfortable run of weather right through the end of August — in contrast to the Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast of heavy thunderstorms in parts of the Prairies this week.
The Weather Network’s longer-range forecast also points to a warm finish to August, with sunshine holding through Aug. 25 before a round of showers and thunderstorms Aug. 26–28. Conditions are expected to dry out again heading into the final weekend of the month, with daytime highs near 21 C and overnight lows around 11 C.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac projects cooler, wetter weather to close out August. Its outlook calls for “isolated showers, then sunny; turning warm” from Aug. 23 to 31. For the month overall, it predicts an average temperature of 15 C — two degrees below normal — and 95 millimetres of precipitation, or 35 millimetres above average.
The Farmers’ Almanac forecast is more detailed, calling for pleasant weather through Aug. 19, fair skies then showers across the Rockies and eastward Aug. 20–23, showery and thundery weather east through Manitoba Aug. 24–27, and very unsettled conditions in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and points east to close out the month.
For September, the Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests a mix of isolated showers, thunderstorms and stretches of very warm weather. It predicts an average temperature of 12 C, one degree above normal, with near-normal precipitation of 45 millimetres.
On social media, many Airdronians have already questioned the long-range forecasts, noting that the Almanacs often miss the mark.
It is also worth noting that the two publications issued different forecasts for the summer. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted cooler-than-normal temperatures and above-normal rainfall for the southern Prairies, while the Farmers’ Almanac called for widespread heat and near-normal precipitation. With July and early August tracking cooler and wetter in Alberta, the Old Farmer’s forecast has proven closer to reality.
So what about autumn?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a warmer and wetter-than-normal fall on the Prairies. It projects September temperatures to average 12 C, one degree above normal, with precipitation close to average. October is expected to climb to 8 C, two degrees above normal, with slightly higher-than-average rainfall. The outlook calls for a warm, sunny start to October, light drizzle mid-month, and the chance of early flurries in the west before another warm spell to close the month.
The Farmers’ Almanac, by contrast, predicts the Prairies will be cooler than average this fall, with early cold snaps and wet snow by mid-October. It warns of “dramatic weather contrasts” nationwide, with unsettled conditions dominating September and October. The forecast highlights recurring rain across much of the country, heavy showers and thunderstorms in Ontario and Quebec, and Pacific-driven storms in British Columbia. Higher elevations in the Prairies may see wet snow as early as October, with more widespread snowfall expected by November.
The Almanac adds that Thanksgiving weekend, which falls on Oct. 13, may offer only a short reprieve for the Prairies, with rain or wet snow still possible.
Winter outlook
The Farmers’ Almanac is already warning of a “classic Canadian winter” for 2025–26. Its extended outlook calls for Arctic air masses to dominate the Prairie Provinces in January and February, bringing dangerous wind chills and prolonged deep freezes.
The Almanac says Alberta can expect frequent Alberta Clippers, whiteouts and blizzard conditions.
Elsewhere, the forecast highlights multiple nor’easters and blizzards in eastern Canada, lake-effect squalls in southern Ontario, and heavy Pacific storms in British Columbia.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has not yet released its 2025–26 winter forecast.
Airdronians, meanwhile, remain divided. Many took to social media last week to poke fun at the long-range predictions, pointing out that the Almanacs are often wrong.
But as always, the weather tends to be fickle and change. For Airdrie residents, it is a familiar truth that sometimes all four seasons can arrive in a single day.
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