By Shaun Penner

20-40 mm possible

Rain, cooler temperatures in Grande Prairie’s weekend forecast

Jul 14, 2021 | 12:41 PM

Environment Canada says some sustained rainfall is in the weekend forecast for the Peace Country.

Meteorologist Sara Hoffman says a low-pressure system is starting to move into the area, which could bring sustained and much-needed rainfall to the area starting on Friday.

“On Friday… it could be highly localized rainfall amounts, and it could be anywhere up to 15 millimetres and up,” said Hoffman. “But looking overall we’re looking at roughly 20 to 40 mm of rain by the time the event is all over.”

As of July 13, only 5.1 mm of rainfall has been recorded in Grande Prairie, which accumulated on just two days this month.

Hoffman adds the low-pressure system moving in will also drop temperatures to more seasonal, or even slightly below seasonal, for the short term in the Peace Region.

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She adds this is something that is not expected for much of the rest of Alberta.

“Grande Prairie is kind of lucking out, in that it’s on the cool side of the pattern we are going to be experiencing for the next week here,” she said.

“Grande Prairie will be in the unstable, showery, cool pattern, and then you just drive south as far as Red Deer and they’ll be back in that sort of sweltering, long duration in the heat.”

The downside, Hoffman notes, is that the rain isn’t forecasted to fall in many parts where wildfires are burning the heaviest, like in B.C.’s interior.

“It’ll be a predominately Peace Country thing,” Hoffman said. “For those large fires that are more in the interior, it might be more of a showery, much lighter rainfall.”

The rain follows a historic heatwave in the Grande Prairie area in late June, which brought with it all-time record highs (41.5 degrees set on June 29), as well as separate heat warnings.

As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, a daytime high of 18 degrees is forecasted for Friday, while Saturday calls for a high of 19.