Mid-Week Freeze In Late-Season Arctic Blast

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An Arctic ridge will bring a blast cold air to southern Manitoba resulting in a late-spring freeze in many areas. After a cold Wednesday night, temperatures will gradually warm towards seasonal values.

A broad Arctic ridge will lay sprawled across Manitoba today, bringing seasonably cool weather to the region. Winnipeg will see a high of only 11 °C with a north wind easing to around 20 km/h in the afternoon. Skies will clear tonight with easing winds as the main ridge axis moves into southern Manitoba. Temperatures will dip below freezing through the Red River Valley overnight, potentially reaching as cold as -4 or -5 °C. In Winnipeg, there will likely be a larger range of temperatures going from slightly below freezing near the city core to around -3 or -4 °C on the outskirts (particularly on the north side of the city).

If you’ve planted your garden, you’ll definitely want to cover the plants up to help protect them from the cold tonight. More of an issue may be damage to sprouting crops through the Red River Valley.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 09Z Thursday May 27, 2021
An Arctic high will bring freezing temperatures to most of southern Manitoba on Wednesday night.

Temperatures will begin to recover on Thursday with a high near 15 °C with light easterly winds. The Arctic high will keep skies sunny as it slowly pushes off to the east. This will be a good thing, as it will likely mean a quick warm-up above freezing on Thursday morning. Temperatures will be warmer on Thursday night with a low near 2 °C.

Skies will stay sunny on Friday as warmer air continues to move into the region ahead of a low over the western Prairies. Winnipeg should see mainly sunny skies with southerly winds picking up into the 30–40 km/h range for the afternoon. Highs will reach around 18 °C through the Red River Valley, followed by lows in the upper single digits. The wind will stay breezy out of the south right through the night with some cloudier conditions building into the region.

Long Range Outlook

Forecasts show showers likely again on Saturday as a disturbance moves across the region. Sunnier skies should return on Sunday. Temperatures will be near-seasonal through the weekend with highs near 20 °C and lows near 10 °C. Warmer weather will return next week with highs climbing into the mid to upper 20s and lows in the low to mid-teens.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 22 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 7 °C.

Warm Holiday Monday Followed by Mid-Week Cool-Down

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Winnipeg will see a beautiful holiday Monday followed by a quick reminder that colder weather lurks not so far away.

Winnipeg will see temperatures climb today as a push of warmer air moves through the region. It will start off this morning with some cloud and a chance of showers as an occluding trowal lifts through the region. Moderate south-southwest winds of 30–40 km/h will persist through the day as skies clear behind a weak cold front. The region will see markedly warmer temperatures than yesterday with a high near 25 °C. Winds will ease in the evening as temperatures head to a low near 14 °C under mainly clear skies.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Monday May 24, 2021
Southern Manitoba will see a mild temperatures for the holiday Monday with highs in the mid-20s.

A low pressure system will push eastwards out of Saskatchewan across Manitoba on Tuesday. As it moves into the region, Winnipeg will see increasing cloud and southwest winds near 30 km/h. Temperatures will climb to a high near 19 °C by late in the morning. A cold front will sweep through the Red River Valley as the low passes in the afternoon. This will bring scattered showers into the region along with moderate northwest winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h. The chance for showers will taper off into the evening, but the moderate northerly winds will continue for much of the night. A large Arctic ridge will push into the region behind the cold front, sending Winnipeg’s low close to the freezing mark by Wednesday morning.

That Arctic high will lay across the entirety of Manitoba on Wednesday, bringing a cool day to the region. Winnipeg will see a high only around 11 °C with northerly winds near 20 km/h. With that late-May sunshine, a sunny start to the day will likely see some afternoon cumulus clouds despite the cool temperatures. Skies will stay mainly clear on Wednesday night with light winds. Temperatures will likely dip below freezing in outlying areas, and drop close to freezing closer to the city centre.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Thursday May 27, 2021
…and the mighty have fallen; much colder temperatures will arrive mid-week. Much of southern Manitoba will see a hard freeze or risk of frost Tuesday night and Wednesday night.

This Arctic high will bring a risk of frost to much of southern Manitoba on both Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Areas north of the Trans-Canada highway as well as southwestern Manitoba will likely see a hard freeze. For the Red River Valley, frost is more likely in rural areas than in the City of Winnipeg. While it’s less likely to freeze in the city centre, open and outlying areas of the city will see a higher risk of frost both nights. Temperatures are not forecast to drop much below zero in the Red River Valley, and will recover quickly above freezing both Wednesday and Thursday morning.

Long Range Outlook

Temperatures will recover through the rest of the week back towards seasonal values with partly cloudy skies. A weak low passing on Saturday will bring more cloud and a chance of showers to the region. After that, it looks like a nice stretch of seasonal temperatures with variable cloudiness will start off the next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 21 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 7 °C.

Warm And Occasionally Unsettled Weather Continues

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Warm and mostly dry weather will continue in Winnipeg through the weekend.

Another in a series of weak disturbances will move through southern Manitoba today. It will bring mixed skies to the region with another chance of scattered showers this afternoon. Temperatures will be mild with a high near 23 °C and winds will be generally light. With the dry conditions, any showers will be capable of producing locally gusty winds up into the 50–70 km/h range. The cloud cover will break up tonight with temperatures heading to a low near 9 °C.

On Saturday, the region will see light winds with partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will head to a high near 23 °C again. By the evening, an organized low crossing the northern Prairies will push a warm front eastwards through the region. As it passes, it will bring a chance of showers to the region. The rest of the night should see partly cloudy skies and a low near 12 °C. Southerly winds will strengthen to around 20 km/h overnight.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Sunday May 16, 2021
Daytime highs of 25–30 °C will develop over southern Manitoba on Sunday.

Sunday will bring the heat to southern Manitoba. Well into the warm sector of the northern Manitoba low, breezy southwest winds of 30–40 km/h will send highs into the upper 20s. A trough will slump southwards into the region through the afternoon. It will bring a chance of showers with it, and behind it winds should diminish a bit and turn westerly. The region will see a few clouds Sunday night with diminishing winds and a low near 12 °C.

Long Range Outlook

Another organized low will start moving out of central Alberta on Monday, bringing a renewed push of warmer air into southern Manitoba. Temperatures will be very warm through the first half of the week.

By mid-week, the persistent southerly flow will bring a pool of Gulf of Mexico humidity into the northern Plains of the United States, potentially into southern Manitoba as well. As this moisture approaches, forecasts show a deep upper trough moving into western North America. These two features will combine to bring more humid and unsettled conditions to southern Manitoba in the second half of the week.

GDPS 2m Dew Point Forecast valid 18Z Thursday May 20, 2021
Forecasts show a substantial increase of humidity in the latter half of next week with dew points climbing into the upper teens.

The potential exists for significant rainfall, which would be welcome relief for the drought conditions. This unsettled period could also bring the first well-organized thunderstorm risk to the region, but if the forcing is too strong, it will favour broad areas of showers instead.

So after another warm and mostly dry 5 days, the region should see a shift into a more humid and unsettled pattern.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 20 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 5 °C.

Mild Spring Weather Arrives

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Winnipeg will enjoy pleasant spring weather with seasonably mild temperatures and a chance of showers.

Winnipeg will see warmer weather move in today as a weak area of low pressure builds east across the Prairies. Temperatures will climb to a high near 22 °C this afternoon with southerly winds into the 20–30 km/h range. Skies should stay mostly sunny through the day. It will continue to be dry; with warm weather and dew points between -5 and -10 °C, the relative humidity will drop into the 10–20% range for the afternoon. A few clouds will linger overnight as a continued southerly flow brings warmer air with a bit more moisture into the region. Winnipeg should see a low near 9 °C. There’s also a slight chance that a few showers may drift across the region overnight.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Thursday May 13, 2021
Summer-like warmth will spread across southern Manitoba on Thursday.

Thursday will be a beautiful day across many parts of the Red River Valley. Winnipeg will see a high near 24 °C with partly cloudy skies as the broad area of low pressure continues to build into the province. Dew points will be higher on Thursday, climbing above 0°C and into the low to mid single digits. While this isn’t particularly remarkable on its own, it will be a 10–15 °C increase from Wednesday. One thing that the higher dew points will allow for, though, is the likely development of some scattered showers in afternoon. Although there isn’t too much instability, an isolated non-severe thunderstorm may be possible as well.

Things will taper off in the evening with temperatures in Winnipeg heading to a low near 9 °C under partly cloudy skies.

RDPS 48-hour Accumulated QPF Forecast valid 00Z Saturday May 15, 2021
Many places across southern Manitoba will see a chance of scattered afternoon showers on Thursday and Friday.

Friday will bring much of the same to Winnipeg again with a high near 22 °C and partly cloudy skies. Some scattered showers will once again be possible in the afternoon with the risk of an isolated non-severe thunderstorm. Temperatures will dip to a low near 7 °C on Friday night with a few lingering clouds.

Long Range Outlook

Spring arrives, as they say, slowly and suddenly. While a prolonged cool pattern only came to an end yesterday, now it looks like Winnipeg will be seeing nothing but warmth for the next week. Highs of 20–25 °C are forecast well into next week with overnight lows in the upper single digits or low teens. The warmer overnight lows, in particular, should help the growing season get started across the region.

Several disturbances will move through the region through the next week, bringing a couple chances of rain with them.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 19 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 5 °C.