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Hot weather in the forecast for Mother’s Day in Alberta

Sunbathers spotted in Calgary's Bowness Park as temperatures soared into the mid-20s on Friday and are forecast to stay warm through the Mother's Day weekend. Global News

Mother Nature will be providing Albertans with a gift of her own this Mother’s Day weekend, as a ridge of high pressure over western Canada is set to bring unseasonably warm weather to much of the province.

“All the major cities are forecast to be anywhere  from 4 to 9 C above normal this weekend,” says Global Calgary Weather Specialist Deb Matejicka.

On Friday afternoon, at least one temperature record had already been smashed when the mercury in the town of Drumheller hit 27.6 C, breaking the old record of 22.2 C set  in 2017.

In Grande Prairie the mercury hit 24.9 C, just .1 degree higher than the old record.

In Fort McMurray the temperature on Friday hit just shy of a new record at 27 C.

The unseasonably warm weather forecast for much of Alberta this weekend means there could be lots of families enjoying a picnic like these ones on Friday in Bowness Park. Global News

While temperatures in both Calgary and Edmonton are also forecast to hit the mid-to-high 20s this weekend, they’re expected to be several degrees short of breaking records.

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Unfortunately, along with the warm weather, comes a chance of thundershowers.

“We’re looking at a moderate risk (40 per cent) of thundershowers and rain tracking through Calgary and central Alberta this evening,” says Matejicka.

Canoeists on the Bow River in Calgary, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to start this Mother’s Day weekend. Global News

That means many people hoping to catch a glimpse of the aurora this evening could be out of luck.

“Unfortunately in Calgary, we are expecting mainly cloudy skies late this evening and overnight when the aurora is expected to be at its strongest,” Matejicka says.

In Edmonton the forecast this evening is for partly cloudy skies.

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