Wind warnings grip parts of Southern Alberta

Batten down the hatches; it’s going to be a very windy day across much of Southern Alberta.

That’s according to Environment Canada who’s issued warnings for several communities from the Foothills to the Saskatchewan border.

Winds are expected to gust up to 110 kilometres an hour before slightly diminishing and spreading out towards the eastern half of the province.

660 Meteorologist David Spence says this is the type of warning you’re going to want to take seriously.

“The main problem with these wind gusts, once you get them over 100 kilometres per hour, is they are strong enough to tip over large profile vehicles or high profile vehicles moving north/south on Highway 2 or 22,” he says. “You often see semis, for example, being blown over by the wind.”

Spence is anticipating the areas hardest hit will be between Claresholm and Crowsnest Pass.

“It should last through the rest of the day today, the area of the strongest wind is going to shift eastward as the day goes on so it will taper off this afternoon in southwestern Alberta and then pick up again in the southeastern corner of the province,” he explains.

It’s the third day in a row Environment Canada has felt the need to issue a warning.

Calgary will see winds top out around 60 kilometres an hour and Okotoks (although part of the warning), shouldn’t be much of a factor.

“Okokoks happens to be in the same warning zone as Claresholm, you have Okotkoks, High River and Claresholm in one area, so if you get some high wind in Claresholm it automatically triggers a warning for Okotoks,” Spence says.

Those communities listed in the warning include Okotoks, High River, Claresholm, Brooks, Strathmore, Vulcan, Hanna, Coronation, Oyen, Medicine Hat, Bow Island, Suffield, Lethbridge, Taber, Milk River, Cardston, Fort MacLeod, Magrath, Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Cree and Waterton Lakes National Park.