Sherwood Park residents are being told to brace for dangerous weather Tuesday afternoon as forecasters warn a round of severe thunderstorms could bring large hail, damaging winds, and even a tornado to the Edmonton region.
According to Environment Canada, there is an 80 per cent chance of thunderstorms beginning around 6 p.m. MDT on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Temperatures will climb to 25°C but feel more like 29°C with the humidity, setting the stage for explosive storm development.
The Weather Network says a strong jet stream lifting across central Alberta combined with a developing trough and surface low is creating what meteorologists call a textbook setup for severe weather. The main threats include hail as big as 6 cm in diameter, wind gusts over 110 km/h, heavy rain, and a risk of tornadoes, especially north of Edmonton during the early evening.
The dangerous forecast comes during an unprecedented severe weather season across Alberta. The Northern Tornadoes Project reports 26 tornadoes have already touched down in the province this year, a 50 per cent increase compared to past years. Recent storms include an EF2 twister near Rocky Mountain House that damaged buildings and an EF3 that destroyed a home at Tulliby Lake near the Saskatchewan border on July 11.
Edmonton is also dealing with its wettest summer on record, with 503.7 mm of rain already falling by July 26, smashing the old record of 417.1 mm set in 1953. The saturated ground raises the risk of flash flooding if heavy downpours hit. Just last Saturday, a storm flooded major roads like Yellowhead Trail and Whitemud Drive, knocked out power to 37,700 Epcor customers, and forced 31,000 fans to evacuate a concert at Commonwealth Stadium.
Environment Canada urges residents to keep an eye on local alerts and have a plan to get to sturdy shelter quickly if thunderstorms develop. With the ground already waterlogged and more violent weather on the way, officials say even a short but intense storm could bring rapid flooding and dangerous conditions.
