Skip to content

Risk of tornado in central Alberta

There’s a risk of a tornado, hail and high winds in central Alberta
7916611_web1_170802-PON-severe-weather_2

The thunderstorm outlook for Thursday afternoon suggests a risk of a tornado in central Alberta, specifically in the Red Deer area.

The University of Manitoba’s experimental thunderstorm outlook shows a risk of a tornado, hail and high winds. The areas potentially affected are Red Deer and Ponoka and surrounding communities.

“An upper ridge will break down late Thursday afternoon when a cold front moves through Alberta. Ahead of the cold front a surface trough will extend from northeast Alberta southward through central regions,” states the warning.

Residents in central Alberta should expect to see hail the size of four to six centimetres with wind gusts up to 90 km/h. “It is possible for a supercell that forms along the surface trough to produce a tornado.”

Northeastern Alberta is also under warning with hail estimated at two to six centimetres.

The warning estimates that late afternoon in central Alberta to overnight in the northern sections residents can see storms.

“It is possible that one of these supercells could produce a tornado. This southern Alberta low will be the focus for thunderstorms across the prairies for the next few days,” states the release.