St. Paul residents should brace for wet and windy weather tonight and Thursday, but a sunny weekend is just around the corner. Environment Canada is calling for periods of rain and a risk of thunderstorms after midnight, with wind gusts up to 60 km/h expected.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, the town was under a mix of sun and cloud with a temperature of 19.4 C, but conditions will change quickly. The forecast shows rain developing near midnight, with the thunderstorm risk through the overnight period. Winds will shift and strengthen, becoming northwest 40 km/h gusting to 60 overnight, while the temperature drops to a low of 9 C. Thursday will see periods of rain ending in the morning then mainly cloudy skies, with winds continuing to gust to 60 km/h and a high of just 18 C.
The Alberta Emergency Management Agency recommends that residents secure loose outdoor items like patio furniture and garbage bins, and stay tuned to weather updates. Given the gusty winds, anything left unsecured could become a hazard.
The unsettled weather comes as St. Paul and surrounding areas are still recovering from significant flooding in late May and early June, when some parts of the region saw over 100 mm of rain. While this system is not expected to bring the same heavy rainfall totals, the rain could still affect areas where the ground remains saturated.
Things will turn around on Friday, with sunny skies and a high of 21 C. The weekend looks even better, with sunshine and highs of 22 C on Saturday and 23 C on Sunday, perfect for any outdoor plans that may have been put on hold.
