Following Environment Canada's issuance of a severe thunderstorm watch for Calgary, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat on Tuesday, the Government of Alberta confirmed it is reviewing whether atmospheric instability over southeastern Alberta constitutes an overreach of federal authority.

"We're not saying there isn't a storm," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Affairs That Should Be Provincial. "We're saying Ottawa shouldn't be the one telling us about it. Albertans are perfectly capable of looking up at a green sky and drawing their own conclusions."

The watch, which warns of large hail and a slight chance of a tornado, was reportedly flagged for review under a newly contemplated provision allowing the province to opt out of federal weather it deems inconvenient. Sources indicate the government remains supportive of sunshine, mild breezes, and any precipitation that can be credited to provincial leadership.

Municipal officials in Medicine Hat, meanwhile, quietly continued doing the actual work of issuing shelter advisories, securing patio furniture, and reminding residents that hail does not require a press release to fall on their vehicles.

"The clouds did not consult the legislature, and the legislature has noted this," the spokesperson added, declining to specify what, if anything, would be done about it.

At press time, the province had announced the formation of a panel to study whether tornadoes could be re-classified as a natural resource, thereby falling squarely under Alberta's constitutional purview.