A warm and gusty Thursday is in store for southeastern Alberta, with Environment Canada forecasting highs of 20 C from Medicine Hat to Brooks and Bow Island under a mix of sun and cloud. Southwest winds gusting to 40 km/h — and up to 50 km/h near Brooks — will ease by afternoon or evening. Elkwater and the Cypress Hills will see a cooler high of 16 C. The mild stretch continues into the weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the mid-teens expected Saturday across the region.

Medicine Hat and Redcliff

At 6 a.m. at the Medicine Hat airport, skies were cloudy and the temperature was 7 C, with a west wind at 7 km/h. Environment Canada calls for a mix of sun and cloud Thursday with a southwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 and a high of 20 C. The UV index will be 1, or low. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a south wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light by evening and a low of plus 2. Friday brings mainly sunny skies, a high of 13 and a return of south winds gusting to 40 in the afternoon.

Irvine

Irvine recorded 9.6 C at 6 a.m. Thursday with a west-southwest wind of 8 km/h. Environment Canada is forecasting a mix of sun and cloud through the day, with a high of 20 C and a southwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40. The UV index is 1, or low. Overnight, expect partly cloudy skies and a low of plus 2; a south wind gusting to 40 will ease to light by evening. Friday will be mainly sunny with a high of 13 and south winds gusting to 40 returning in the afternoon.

Bow Island

Bow Island's 6 a.m. reading at the Bow Island Climate station was 9.2 C, with a south wind at 12 km/h and rising pressure. Environment Canada expects a mix of sun and cloud Thursday, a southwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 and a high of 20 C. The UV index will be 1, or low. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a low of plus 2; south winds gusting to 40 will turn light during the evening. Friday brings mainly sunny skies, south winds gusting to 40 in the afternoon and a high of 13.

Elkwater and Cypress Hills

Lodge Creek recorded 2.6 C at 6 a.m. Thursday — the coolest reading in the region — with a southeast wind at 5 km/h and humidity at 78 per cent. Environment Canada forecasts a mix of sun and cloud with a southwest wind of 20 km/h gusting to 40 and a high of 16 C, several degrees below the valley communities. The UV index is 1, or low. Thursday night will be partly cloudy and breezy, with south winds gusting to 40 easing to light by evening and a low of plus 1. Friday will be mainly sunny with a high of 12.

Brooks

Brooks was the warmest community at the 6 a.m. observation, with the Brooks station recording 13.5 C and a west-southwest wind of 19 km/h gusting to 27. Environment Canada calls for mainly cloudy skies Thursday with a southwest wind of 30 km/h gusting to 50 — the strongest forecast gusts in the region — becoming light this afternoon, and a high of 20 C. The UV index will be 1, or low. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a low of zero. Friday is expected to be mainly sunny and calm with a high of 13.

Outlook

Environment Canada is forecasting a sunny and seasonably mild end to the week across southeastern Alberta. Friday will bring mainly sunny skies and highs of 12 to 13 C, with south winds gusting to 40 km/h returning in the afternoon for communities south and east of Brooks. Clear skies and lows near zero are expected Friday night. Saturday looks sunny throughout the region, with highs of 13 to 15 C and lows of plus 1 to plus 3 overnight into Sunday.

Forecasts and observations from Environment Canada.

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