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Heavy rains expected for Central Alberta

With heavy rain and some snow expected, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Red Deer, Innisfail, Ponoka and Stettler.

With heavy rain and some snow expected, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Red Deer, Innisfail, Ponoka and Stettler.

Environment Canada meteorologist Bill McMurtry said a big weather system was expected to move across south Central and Central Alberta on Tuesday night through Wednesday.

He said the majority of the rain will fall late Tuesday evening and through to Wednesday afternoon.

McMurtry said some of these areas may be updated to a heavy rainfall warning, with the area is expected to receive 50 mm of rain or more in less than 24 hours.

He said the concern is how the rain will affect the ground, which isn’t fully thawed yet.

Red Deer is expected to get between 30 and 40 mm of rainfall.

Areas to the northwest of Red Deer, including Gull Lake and Rimbey, could receive more than 60 mm of rain and could reach 75 mm.

“That is a significant amount of rain for this time of year,” said McMurtry, “due to the fact that we still have snow in some locations and more importantly the ground is still frozen in most locations. It is a question of how that will react once the rain falls.”

McMurtry said as the system pulls out, Red Deer could see some wet snow first thing Thursday morning.

Some areas may be particularly sensitive to flooding due to already high water levels from the spring melt.

Over the mountain parks and the Nordegg region, precipitation will begin as rain but will likely change to snow by morning.

The public is advised to monitor future forecasts and warnings as warnings may be required or extended.

Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada at www.weatheroffice.gc.ca.