Most of Alberta started Friday under an extreme cold warning as Arctic air continues to funnel back into the Prairies from the polar vortex situated over the Labrador Sea.
Calgary was one of the warmest locations in southern Alberta Friday with a morning temperature of -22 C thanks in part to the adiabatic processes linked to the Rocky Mountains.
As of 8 a.m., warmer air was situated aloft with the Nakiska Ridgetop noted as the hot spot in Alberta at -6.8 C.
Temperatures in Calgary will gradually warm throughout the day on Friday with the warmest point occurring just before midnight.
Weather patterns are expected to reset by early next week as the polar vortex retreats north, and a large ridge of high pressure from the south creates zonal flow across the Prairies. This will result in the first above seasonal and positive temperature in nearly three weeks.
Overnight lows will play a key role in next weeks warmup, as they are expected to be above seasonal and fall within a narrow diurnal range (the difference between the daily maximum and daily minimum temperature).
In January, the average daytime high for Calgary is -3 C with a low of -15 C, creating a typical diurnal range of 12-degrees.
Over the next few days that diurnal range shrinks to a difference of just two to seven degrees and by the middle of next week the lows could be as warm as -8 C to -3 C.
With eight hours and 35 minutes between sunrise and sunset, a warmer overnight low temperature often assists in producing a warmer daytime high, as there is less energy needed from incoming solar radiation in order to achieve a peak temperature, so excess energy can lead to warmer highs.
