***NOTE: YOU CAN CLICK ON THE MAP TO OPEN A ZOOMABLE IMAGE***

It may be April Fool’s Day, but unfortunately, the forecast for the incoming snow storm is not a joke. This has been another tricky forecast for the area, with weather models downgrading the amount of snowfall expected and disagreements over where the heaviest snow bands will set up.

Precipitation will push northward into Southern Alberta Wednesday evening as a mix of rain and snow thanks to temperatures that will hover over just above the freezing mark. This rain and snow will fall scattered pockets throughout the evening and overnight as it continues to push northward into the Edmonton area.

Things will become more widespread and organized, along with the rain starting to switch over to snow, after sun rise on Thursday. This is also when we’ll start to see isolated bands of heavier snowfall begin to set up.

***The rdps model showing precipitation type and intensity at 7Am MT on Thursday, courtesy of WeatherBell.***

The bulk of the snow will likely settle over the QE2 corridor throughout the morning with some expansion into Southeastern Alberta in the afternoon. The snow will begin to taper off in the mid to later afternoon, but some scattered areas of slight snow are still expected to linger into early Friday morning.

For the most part, we’re looking at 5-15cm of snow stretching from Edmonton to the US border and eastward into Saskatchewan to the south of Medicine Hat. Most of this region will receive less than 10cm, with the Edmonton area set to receive around 5cm and the mixing of rain limiting accumulation in the Southeast.

The span from Airdrie to Cardston along Highway 2 is where we’re expecting 10-15cm to fall by Friday morning, with the possibility of up to 20cm locally, particularly around Calgary. The timing of the heavier snow during the morning could cause some headaches for the morning commute.

At this point, it’s looking like the Easter Weekend will be mostly dry across the province which will be ideal for those travelling to see family over the long weekend.