After several days of afternoon thunderstorms, a ridge of high pressure will settle over southern Alberta by Saturday, keeping conditions sunny, breezy and warm.
The warming trend started on Wednesday, but an embedded low-pressure system over south-central Alberta has kept conditions unstable, including on Friday afternoon when thunderstorm watches were issued for a majority of the south, extending into parts of central Alberta as well.
Areas like Monarch and Lethbridge were even briefly under a severe thunderstorm warning as storm cells gained enough energy to potentially produce nickel-sized hail, strong winds and heavy rain.
Once that high-pressure system pushes in on Saturday, the main weather maker will be strong winds from a southerly direction that will ramp up temperatures into the mid to high 20s on Saturday and even into the 30s on Sunday for areas like Medicine Hat, Brooks and Lethbridge.
So far, the hottest temperature of the year for Calgary was 26.2 C on May 10 and again on June 11.
With strong southerly winds in the forecast, the potential is there for the first weekend of the summer to also be the warmest of the year so far.
Keep in mind the UV Index is at a 7 for Saturday, which is high.
Sunscreen, hats and limited exposure to the sun will all be necessary while enjoying the beautiful weather.
