Calgary

First day of fall comes with snowy forecast for Calgary

Expect snowfall to blanket the city beginning Friday and continuing through the weekend, thanks to a surge of arctic air that will roll through the province, dropping temperatures to right around the freezing mark.

You might need to reach for your shovel before your rake this autumn in Calgary

This Calgary Transit bus struggled for at least 20 minutes to get unstuck from the snow on Sixth Avenue S.W. when snow hit the city in February 2017. (Kate Adach/CBC)

Today marks the first day of fall, and there's already a potentially nasty forecast for Calgary. 

"It's going to be a pretty swift turn from fall to some wintry weather by the weekend," said CBC meteorologist Christy Climenhaga on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Expect snowfall to blanket the city beginning Friday and continuing through the weekend, thanks to a surge of arctic air that will roll through the province, dropping temperatures to right around the freezing mark.

Climenhaga said it's difficult to pin down accumulations, but Calgarians should expect to do some shovelling. 

It's not unusual for Calgary to receive snowfall in September, which has a monthly average of around four centimetres, she added.

"This may look like a scary weekend, but I do have a feeling you'll get some warmer days again."

Climenhaga said most models are calling for a warmer than usual fall in much of Western Canada, including southern Alberta.

"When all is said and done, averages for the entire season do look to fall in that warmer-than-normal range," she said.


With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.