Heavy summer rains bring localized flooding in Calgary and relief for farmers

This year’s wet and rather dreary summer so far may have caused some cancelled barbeques in Calgary, but it also brings fresher air, greener grass, and a better crop for farmers.

While the Calgary Stampede saw some rainfall, the latest and most notable example happened Friday when the city was hit by a large rainstorm, bringing thunder, lightning, hail, and causing localized flooding in parts of the city

Many online shared videos and images of the spectacle in the sky and the pools of water on the ground on social media.

Saturday also saw rainfall overnight, and a few more wet days are expected ahead.

But Calgary resident Andrew Smith, while out walking at Prince’s Island Park, says he brings his six-month-old daughter out for walks almost every day, adding, “The nice cool weather and an umbrella does just the trick.”

He’s not the only one adapting to the rain. Haley Smuszko says she’s fine with going for walks and running around the park.

“It’s a lot greener than usual, more flowers. Feels a bit like Vancouver or something like that,” she said.

So, if you’re thinking the grass looks greener this year–not just on the other side, but all around the city–you’re not wrong, because it has been an unusually wet summer so far in Calgary.

“If we take a look at June and July together, we’ve had over 200 millimetres of rain. And normal would be 130 millimetres for 50 days. That’s 30 days of June and 18 days of July,” Environment Canada climatologist Dave Phillips told CityNews.

The pitter-patter of rainfall is music to the ears of farmers in Southern Alberta, like Stephen Vandervalk, the vice-president of the Wheat Growers Association, after drought conditions in recent years. 

“Our farm is 101 years old this year, and the last 10 years, I don’t think you can say that any time in that 100 years has been as dry as it has been in the last 10,” he said.

“So it just makes you feel good that we can get rain, and it can rain again here, so it gets your confidence up a little bit. And ya, it’s just nice to be able to see nice crops out there that we can go and harvest.”

Some Calgarians, like Usman Tahir, expressed concern that heavy rainfall could potentially lead to traffic accidents on highways.

“It is a bit difficult and challenging sometimes,” he said.

Calgary police and EMS have in the past warned residents about parking their cars under bridges during storms that include hail, as not only is it illegal, but it could lead to traffic delays for emergency personnel, and further flooding under the bridge itself.

Meanwhile, Phillips says the number of rainy days this year is about average; however, the weather events have delivered more precipitation, likely due to the warmer air being able to hold more moisture.

“The thunderstorms are staying put; they are not hitting and running. They are kind of stalled and they stay there, and some of those easterly winds are squeezing the rain out of them,” Phillips said.

Calgary has already had about 100mm of rain this month, with more expected in the forecast.