Following unseasonably cold temperatures, southern Alberta is expecting a week of warm weather heading into the holidays.

A dominant ridge of high pressure will support a westerly flow across the southern Rockies, raising temperatures from the foothills to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

Precipitation from the northeast Pacific basin will cross the southern borders of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan beginning Friday.

As always, atmospheric temperatures and surface temperatures will dictate whether this precipitation falls and lands as rain, snow, and/or a mixture.

With above-seasonal daytime temperatures and minimum temperatures expected to persist across southern Alberta, rain and possibly freezing rain are possible late Saturday or early Sunday.

With colder surface temperatures, either form of precipitation could lead to rapid deterioration of road conditions.

Roads still covered in snow will likely become muddy and/or icy over the next few days due to accelerated melting.

Sidewalks, trails and parking lots adjacent to grassy areas (e.g. lawns) may need to be treated with de-icing agents early in the day as a freeze-thaw cycle is likely over the next few days.