The US West is sweltering under the heat right now, and according to experts, we’ll be feeling some of that impact in parts of Canada this long weekend.
Environment Canada meteorologist Heather Pimiskern said the heat leak from the northern US is “raising temperatures across parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and is likely to spill over into Manitoba later in the weekend and early in the week.” next.”
Currently, there are numerous heat warnings in place for southern Alberta, with several warnings in southern BC on the coast. That heat is expected to linger in Alberta and spread further into the Prairies over the weekend.
Pimiskern told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview, specifically with the Prairies region: “We basically expect temperatures to be in the mid-30s starting Friday and continues through Saturday and Sunday.
Extreme heat broke records in the US this week, causing fires and heat stroke. Western Canada is also experiencing a similar effect and that will continue into the weekend.
“A high pressure building crest… is sucking warm air in from the south and transporting it north into Canada,” Pimiskern explains. “And what it’s doing is raising the temperature at all levels in the atmosphere and that’s causing heat to build up in the region.”
So if heat is moving north from the heat dome currently covering the western United States, does that mean Canada is about to see a heat spike and suffer a similar heat dome?
No, says Pimiskern — although it’s going to be hot this weekend in Western Canada, and certainly a heat “wave” in some regions, the heat dome is an entirely different box of worms.
“When you think about a heat dome, what comes to mind is what happened last year in BC, where they spent weeks in a row at the end of an extreme hot day and it dried everything up and they didn’t get rain for a long time,” she said.
BC is currently experiencing a late-season heatwave, but the impact has so far been less brutal than the punitive heatwave in 2021, with BC heat warnings expected to ease starting Monday. Six.
More than a dozen temperature records were broken or tied earlier this week BC, going from low to high in 30s.
While Canada won’t be completely affected by the heat dome, those planning long weekend activities should definitely check the forecast in advance, especially if they are living in provinces affected by the heat wave. hot weather, experts say.
Although people have different heat tolerances, Pimiskern notes that “extreme heat affects everyone.”
“Drinking lots of water and trying to find yourself a cool place or space to cool down both outside and inside is really important. We also say, you know, you should reduce your heat risk by scheduling outdoor activities for cooler times of the day. “
She adds that it’s important to keep animals hydrated and not locked in cars on hot days, and to check on elderly neighbors and relatives.
Alberta and Saskatchewan will be “most affected by the heat” this weekend, Pimiskern said.
But overnight temperatures won’t be as hot, dropping to nearly 14 to 16 degrees.
“Because time is getting shorter, we have more opportunities to cool off at night,” says Pimiskern. “There is a chance that the temperature will be slightly below the (heat warning) criterion, 14 degrees, however, with the daytime highs being very extreme and well above normal for this time of year.” years, we’ve had heat warnings. effective. “
When does this effect of heat begin to dissipate? It depends on your exact region, says Pimiskern, but should be around the weekend.
“In the US, it looks like the heat will linger in nature,” she said. “Just looking at some extended range models, the US West will unfortunately be impacted by this heat, potentially even happening (into) next weekend.”
But in Canada, we’ll see the effects of this heat “reduce by late Sunday or early Monday, heat will start to move eastward.”
She added that the heat could “potentially rebuild by the end of next week, but at this point the recovery from this current event would be Monday.”
Eastern Canada won’t have much to worry about this long weekend, with temperatures expected to be mostly seasonal – but the Weather Network is reporting periodic showers and thunderstorms across the country. Ontario and Quebec, moving south from Friday afternoon to Saturday.
And on Monday, there could be scattered showers in the Atlantic provinces.
