Brace for large hail, strong winds as high heat fuels Prairie thunderstorms
Intense heat and thunderstorms will dominate the weather across the Prairie provinces over the next two days
Summer conditions are heating up, with extreme heat and a risk of severe weather impacting the Prairies over the next couple of days.
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Heavy downpours, strong winds, and hail larger than two centimetres are potential risks with developing storms. While high thunderstorm energy is available, the formation and intensity of these storms remain conditional on key, atmospheric factors.
You'll want to stay updated on the weather alerts in your area as conditions can change quickly when severe weather hits.
Wednesday: Severe thunderstorms threaten large hail and strong winds
Heat warnings remain in effect for southern Alberta and Saskatchewan as temperatures climb into the upper 30s on Wednesday.
A cold front pushing south will bring in cooler air, likely triggering a severe thunderstorm complex in Alberta by Wednesday afternoon.
Thunderstorms will develop north of Calgary, near Red Deer, before tracking east of the QE2 corridor.
By the evening, the risk extends into Saskatchewan, bringing threats of strong winds, torrential rain, and hail exceeding two centimetres.
Conditions along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border will depend on key, atmospheric triggers. High thunderstorm energy exists, but a cap of warm air aloft and limited storm triggers create considerable uncertainty for storm initiation.
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Thursday: Storm risk shifts into Manitoba and northern Ontario, large hail threat remains
The cold front continues east into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario Thursday. Severe storms could develop by late afternoon along the provincial borders.
Extremely large hail up to three or four centimetres is possible, especially in humid conditions.
Winnipeg faces uncertainty due to a persistent cap and atmospheric inversions, but humidex values could feel like the 40s.
The cold front will lower temperatures, returning much of the region to seasonal conditions by the weekend.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across the Prairies