Look for a little rain over the long weekend, but not constant rain. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Long Weekend Weather

Rain ahead, but not enough to wash out long weekend

Jul 29, 2022 | 12:00 PM

The weather leading into the long weekend might give you the impression you’re in for perfect lake weather: sunny and hot.

That weather is going to change in a hurry, however, once the weekend actually begins.

On Friday, the Prince Albert area is going to just miss the criteria for a heat warning with a high around 30 Celsius and an overnight low of 16 C. In fact, if the heat from that day stuck around for even one more day, we would, indeed, meet the heat warning criteria for the region.

“We need it for two days in a row,” said Jesse Wagar, meteorologist with Environment Canada. “Today, with the daytime high being around that 30 C mark, we are starting to get there for the daytime high criteria, but it’s just for a single day so we’re just missing out.”

From almost a heat warning, the weather will shift quickly as the long weekend begins, and maybe even just before that. There is a risk of a thunderstorm for this evening, and the possibility of rain to lead off the weekend.

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“A cold front starts to swing through,” Wagar said. “So that’s what’s causing the significant swing in the weather pattern. We’re really into that cooler, more unsettled pattern with showers on the way, and behind that cold front are daytime highs closer to the 20 C, maybe up to the 25-degree range.”

If you’re worried Mother Nature plans to ruin your long weekend, however, Wagar said much of the rain will come after the weekend is already over. The cooler temperatures might even make it easier to enjoy the extra day off.

“At least at first, it looks like it’s more of a scattered nature,” Wagar said. “Once we get into early parts of next week, that’s looking a little rainier and generally unsettled. But at least for the weekend, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a washout where we’re consistently under rain.”

With July having been a dry month for much of the northern part of the province, that rain is something we’re probably due for. As for colder temperatures than average, that’s something Prince Albert and area residents have gotten used to over the last year.

“We just got out of a La Nina winter,” said Wagar. “We’re moving into a La Nina fall and winter again later in the season and later in the year, so it follows that it would be a cooler summer.”

According to Environment Canada’s website, there is a chance of showers or risk of a thunderstorm in four of the next six days.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP