A Gradual Warm-Up For Southern Manitoba

Cold temperatures will stay in Winnipeg for another night, then a gradual warming trend begins for the region.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Wednesday December 8, 2021
Very cold temperatures of -25 to -30 °C will develop over southern Manitoba on Tuesday night.

Before that pattern shift occurs, though, it will be another cold day in southern Manitoba. Temperatures will moderate more than they did yesterday with most areas seeing a high in the mid-minus teens today. That will come with plenty of sunshine too, save for a few afternoon clouds. Another Arctic high moving through will send lows into the -25 to -30 °C range tonight under clear skies.

Wednesday will mark the beginning of the pattern transition as an upper trough swings into the Prairies. It will spawn a pair of low pressure systems: one over the northern Prairies along the Arctic front and another over southern Saskatchewan along a push of occluding Pacific air. This area of low pressure will push up against the Arctic ridge exiting Manitoba, making for a relatively unpleasant day in the Red River Valley. Skies will cloud over on Wednesday morning as warmer air begins to push in aloft, followed by strengthening southerly winds. Winnipeg can expect to see winds of 40–50 km/h by the end of the day. Temperatures across the region will climb to around -10 °C by evening.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 00Z Thursday December 9, 2021
Moderate southerly winds will develop over southern Manitoba on Wednesday.

This system will then push snow from western Manitoba into central Manitoba on Wednesday night. Over southern Manitoba, the snow will ease to just a few flurries if much of anything with only 1–2 centimetres possible. Those southerly winds will continue through much of the night as temperatures rise to around-5 °C by Thursday morning.

RDPS 24hr. Accumulated Snowfall Forecast (10:1 SLR) valid 18Z Thursday December 9, 2021
The next disturbance moving into Manitoba will bring snow mainly to central and northern portions of the province on Wednesday night.

After that, the broader weather pattern will change. The Arctic Vortex, currently sitting over Hudson Bay, will start to retreat northwards. This will allow a more westerly flow to develop over the Prairies, spreading milder Pacific air into the region. Daytime highs will rise into the -5 to 0 °C range for the end of the work week.

There should be a fair amount of sunshine after skies clear out on Thursday that lasts into the weekend. The southerly winds will ease and shift westerly on Thursday as the skies clear out.

Long Range Outlook

Milder temperatures stay right through the weekend with highs likely climbing above freezing on Sunday. Forecasts show a bit more cloud moving into the region for next week, but mild temperatures continue with highs near or a couple degrees below 0 °C. The next notable chance for snow in the region may come next mid-week when the next disturbance moves into the region.

Arctic Chill Moves In This Weekend

Much colder weather will arrive in southern Manitoba this weekend as a blast of Arctic air moves into the Prairies.

Before the cold, though, Winnipeg will see a couple days of near-seasonal conditions. A couple of weak systems crossing the region will bring partly cloudy skies and highs on the milder side of the minus single digits. Today will start off a bit breezy with southeast winds near 30 gusting 50 km/h, but the wind will ease through the day.

Saturday should be a pleasant day with light winds as a ridge of high pressure moves over the region.

The real change in the weather will begin on Saturday night. An Alberta Clipper will cross the Prairies Saturday and Sunday while a potent low pressure system strengthens over Hudson Bay. This system will bring some light snow to southern Manitoba on Saturday night as a cold front surges through the province. Behind this front, the clipper and Hudson Bay system will work together to funnel the coldest surge of Arctic air Winnipeg has seen so far this season.

Temperatures will fall to around -7 °C by Sunday morning, then continue to drop to around -10 °C through the day. Winds will stay out of the northwest at 30–40 km/h through the day as Arctic air pushes into the region. Winnipeg may see a few more flurries through the day with morning cloud cover replaced by streamers from Lake Manitoba.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Monday November 22, 2021
Winnipeg’s first taste of bitter winter cold will come on Monday morning with temperatures dipping to -20 °C or colder.

The wind will ease on Sunday evening as a ridge of high pressure moves into the province. Temperatures will dip to a low near -20 °C on Sunday night with mainly clear skies.

Long Range Outlook

Cooler weather looks to stick around next week as winter settles into Manitoba. The region will likely see variable cloudiness through the week, but more snow looks largely limited to Wednesday when another disturbance moves through the province. While no bitterly cold temperatures are in the forecast, the region will be heading into a pattern of near- to below-seasonal temperatures.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -3 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -11 °C.

Mid-Week Freeze In Late-Season Arctic Blast

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

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.