Mild Week Ahead for Winnipeg

Temperatures will stay well above normal values this week as mild Pacific air continues to wash over southern Manitoba.

ECMWF 2m Temperature Forecast valid 18Z Wednesday January 31, 2024
Mild Pacific air will bring above-seasonal temperatures to most of the Canadian Prairies this week.

Persistent upper ridging over western Canada will keep a steady stream of milder air from the Pacific flowing over the region this week. As a result, daytime highs in the mid-single digits will persist through the week, while overnight lows dip to, or a few degrees below, freezing.

Winnipeg will see variable cloudiness over the coming days, trending cloudier in the second half of the week. Breezy southerly winds will develop over the region today, but winds will then ease for the next couple days.

Notable with this warmth, Winnipeg will likely see dew point temperatures climb above freezing in the days ahead. This will help make a significant dent in the snow pack over the region; when dew point temperatures climb above freezing, the warmth can dramatically increase the amount of melt that can occur. As a result, not only will the snow situation across the city look different at the end of the week, fog will be a likely sight overnight and in the early mornings through the course of the week.

Long Range Outlook

Cloudier weather will move in for the weekend, but with that will come more warm weather with overnight lows that could even stay above freezing.

The warm weather will continue into next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -22 °C.

Warming up This Week in Winnipeg

It will be a cloudy week in Winnipeg as temperatures climb back towards the freezing mark.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Wednesday January 24, 2024
Warmer temperatures will spread across the southern Prairies this week.

With the Polar Vortex retreating into the High Arctic, a zonal flow will develop across the Prairies this week. Mild Pacific air will spread across the region, sending daytime highs climbing back to near- or above-freezing values. Like many warm pushes deep in winter, this warmer weather will be accompanied by plenty of cloud cover.

Today will be the transition day towards the warmer conditions in the Red River Valley. Southerly winds will strengthen through the day as a ridge of high pressure shifts to the east. By the evening, temperatures will climb to around -5 °C with winds up to 30 gusting 50 km/h. There may be areas of blowing snow in the open valley, but warmer temperatures and lighter winds than Saturday should make it less of a hazard compared to what the region saw on Saturday.

Skies will stay cloudy with a chance of light snow or freezing drizzle tonight with temperatures hovering around -5 °C and southerly winds continuing. The risk of freezing drizzle could continue into the morning.

On Wednesday, conditions will stay steady until a trough moves into the region midday. Winds will ease as it moves in and temperatures will warm close to the freezing mark in the afternoon. Temperatures will dip back down to around -5 °C on Wednesday night with a chance of light snow.

The tail end of the work week will offer benign weather: mainly cloudy skies, daytime highs near -2 °C, and overnight lows near -5 °C on Thursday night and near -10 °C on Friday night. No notable precipitation look likely for either day.

Long Range Outlook

Heading into the weekend, the mild conditions will continue with highs in the -5 to 0 °C range and light southerly winds. The clouds may break up more, though, allowing glimpses of sunshine both Saturday and Sunday.

Heading into next week, the mild weather will continue with a chance that daytime highs could climb above freezing. As a bonus, it looks like more sunshine is possible than the region will see this week.

Forecasts show no notable snowfall events through next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -23 °C.

Temperatures Return to Seasonal Values in Winnipeg

The recent cold snap is coming to an end as temperatures moderate back towards seasonal values, but with that will come plenty of cloud.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 00Z Sunday January 21, 2023
Moderate southerly return flow winds will develop over the Red River Valley on Saturday.

Heading into the end of the week, the last remnants of the Polar Vortex that have been lingering over Manitoba will finally shuffle off to the east. This will ease the cold over the region and allow temperatures to recover towards seasonal values. As the weekend progresses, a warm front will push off the Alberta Foothills into southern Saskatchewan while the Arctic front re-strengthens in the north and drops into the northern Prairies.

In Winnipeg, Friday will bring conditions on the cloudier side with a high in the mid-teens today. Like the past couple days, there’s a chance the cloud could be accompanied by light snow. The last of the cold air from the Polar Vortex will linger over the province tonight and keep overnight lows down tonight. The cloud cover will likely break up overnight and allow temperatures to dip into the -30 to -25 °C range.

More cloud will push into the region on Saturday as the warm front creeps across southern Saskatchewan. The return flow from a departing high will intensify over the Red River Valley, strengthening southerly winds up to the 40 to 50 km/h range through the day. Highs will climb back to around -15 °C, but wind chill values will be notable making it feel closer to -25. In addition to the chill, those southerly winds will likely produce areas of blowing snow through the Red River Valley; any blowing snow would likely be at its worst from the early afternoon to the evening.

Those winds will begin to ease on Saturday evening as the warmer air finally reaches the valley. Light snow will likely move through overnight with temperatures staying steady in the mid-minus teens.

Winds will continue to ease on Sunday with cloudy conditions across the Red River Valley. Highs will creep upwards again, likely reaching around -10 °C in Winnipeg and area. More light snow is possible on Sunday night with temperatures dipping back towards -15 °C.

Long Range Outlook

There is disagreement between weather models on how next week will turn out. Canadian weather models are pushing Arctic air further south and giving Winnipeg highs in the -15 to -5 °C range through the first half of the week, while other models bring highs of -10 to 0 °C into the region next week.

Either way, plenty of cloud cover will come along with that milder pattern. The warmer weather will likely stick around to the end of the week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -24 °C.

Cold Weather Lasts Through the Week

It will be a cold week in Winnipeg with below-seasonal temperatures and variable cloudiness.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Thursday January 18, 2024
Although the Polar Vortex will move off to the east, cold air will linger across the Prairies through the week. In an unusual twist, it will briefly warm up in northern Manitoba as Atlantic air wraps westwards over the eastern Arctic and into the region.

The Polar Vortex will sit over eastern Canada this week with a cold trough hanging westwards across the Prairies. As a result, much of the region will see below-seasonal temperatures; fortunately, the ruthless cold that was entrenched over the western Prairies will moderate away from those extreme values.

In Winnipeg, the city will see more light snow today with skies on the cloudier side through Wednesday. Daytime highs will climb into the -15 to -20 °C range with west-northwest winds of 20 to 30 km/h. The snow won’t accumulate too much; the city may see a few centimetres accumulation over the next several days.

Overnight lows will mainly sit in the -25 to -20 °C range. Winnipeg and area will likely see more sunshine in the second half of the week.

Long Range Outlook

Heading into the weekend, the Polar Vortex is forecast to finally shift eastwards out to the Atlantic, weakening the cold air over the Prairies and allowing a more progressive pattern to develop. Upper ridging will build into the Prairies over the weekend, spreading milder air into the western Prairies.

This will help bring temperatures back to seasonal values through the weekend, although will likely bring cloudy skies back to the region.

Next week, skies will continue on the cloudier side, but temperatures will climb to above-seasonal values. Daytime highs will climb back towards the -5 °C mark with lows close to -10 °C.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -24 °C.

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