Colder Winter Weather Settles In

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After a mild weekend that brought cloud, freezing drizzle, and a fresh coating of snow, colder weather will settle over southern Manitoba this week.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 15Z Wednesday December 18, 2024
Parts of the Prairies will see bitterly cold temperatures on Wednesday morning as an Arctic high moves through the region.

As the low pressure system that impacted the region trundles off to the east, a ridge of high pressure will build southeast out of the Arctic into Manitoba. This will bring gradually clearing skies to the region today. The lingering cloud will produce a bit of light snow through the day with temperatures hovering near -10 °C through the day. Skies will clear tonight in Winnipeg with temperatures falling to a low in the -25 to -20 °C range.

Wednesday will bring mainly sunny skies to the region as an Arctic ridge sits over southern Manitoba. Temperatures will struggle to recover much during the day with daytime highs only reaching around -20 °C in the afternoon.

The region will be saved from a bitterly cold night on Wednesday night, courtesy of a low pressure system sliding through the southern Prairies. Cloud cover and light snow will build into the region through the night. This will keep temperatures relatively warm with lows in the -25 to -20 °C range.

By Thursday morning, snowfall accumulations in Winnipeg will likely be 2 cm or less, but amounts will increase to the east-southeast up to 5 to 10 cm in Brandon and 10 to 15 cm in Melita. The snow will taper off on Thursday with clearing skies. Temperatures will climb to a high near -15 °C on Thursday. With clear skies and light winds, temperatures will head back down into the mid-minus 20s on Thursday night.

Long Range Outlook

Heading into the end of the week, Friday will bring more cold weather with a high in the -20 to -15 °C range, but then a significant pattern change develops as the Polar Vortex retreats towards the pole and an upper ridge builds into western Canada.

This will bring increasing cloud to the region as temperatures warm through the weekend with strengthening southerly winds. Temperatures will be well-above seasonal heading into next week with several above-freezing daytime highs possible!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -21 °C.

Bitter Cold Eases Across Southern Manitoba

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The bitterly cold air that slammed into southern Manitoba earlier this week is on its way out, and after an unpleasant Friday, nicer winter conditions will develop for the weekend.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Saturday December 14, 2024
Breezy southerly winds will eventually bring warmer temperatures to southern Manitoba.

Although warmer weather will begin working its way into the Red River Valley today, it will be a rather miserable day outside. As an Arctic high slowly works its way east, its return flow of cold air will strengthen over the region. Southerly winds will strengthen into the 30 to 40 km/h range as temperatures climb towards a high in the mid-teens, but those winds will keep wind chill values in the -35 to -25 range through the day.

The southerly winds will continue into the night and temperatures will warm slightly overnight as skies cloud over.

Heading through the weekend, a low pressure system tracking across the southern Arctic will spread milder air east through the Prairies. With skies on the cloudier side through both Saturday and Sunday, temperatures will rise into the -10 to -5 °C range on Saturday and closer to the freezing mark on Sunday. It will be a bit of a breezy weekend, though, with southerly winds of 20 to 30 km/h on both days. Overnight lows will climb into the -10 to -5 °C range for the weekend.

Long Range Outlook

More snow is possible overnight Sunday into Monday as a low pressure system develops and moves through the Dakotas. Early indications are that 2 to 5 cm of snow are possible before this system moves out of the region on Tuesday. Colder weather will build in behind it with temperatures dipping back to seasonably cool conditions.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -10 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -19 °C.

First Blast of Bitter Winter Cold Incoming

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Winnipeg will see its first shot of bitterly cold Arctic air as a ridge of high pressure builds into the region this week.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Thursday December 12, 2024
An Arctic high will bring bitterly cold temperatures with lows in some places falling below -30 °C this week.

With the system that brought 15 to 20 cm of new snow to Winnipeg on its way out, the next system to shape the weather in the region will be an Arctic High building into the province from the north.

Before it gets here, though, a weak disturbance will move through the region today. It will bring a little bit of light snow, perhaps another 2–4 centimetres, today and then sweep a strong cold front southwards.

Temperatures will plummet behind the front as northerly winds of 30–40 km/h drive Arctic air southwards. A seasonable high near -10 °C today will quickly be forgotten as skies clear tonight and temperatures head to a low in the mid-minus 20s.

The Arctic High will be in full force through the rest of the work week. With plenty of sunshine, daytime highs will struggle to climb into the -25 to -20 °C range with overnight lows dipping back into the -25 to -35 °C range. Wind chill values will likely get close to -40 at times on Wednesday night and Thursday night.

Long Range Outlook

Temperatures will begin to moderate on Friday as the high begins to weaken and the core of coldest air moves out of the region. Daytime highs should climb back above -20 °C but breezy southerly winds will have a bite to them and produce wind chills that make it feel much worse.

Temperatures will climb back to seasonal values for Saturday and continue warming on Sunday. The region will likely see mixed skies through the weekend.

A bit of snow is possible later Sunday into Monday ahead of colder temperatures slumping back into the region.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -9 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -18 °C.

Mild Tuesday Snow Gives Way to Cold, Wind, and Blowing Snow

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A low pressure system moving through southern Manitoba will bring snow and mild temperatures to the Red River Valley. In its wake, colder temperatures and strong winds will surge into the region.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 15Z Wednesday December 4, 2024
Strong winds will develop across the Red River Valley late Tuesday into Wednesday, likely producing widespread blowing snow across the region.

Apologies for the late forecast, life has been busy!

Snow spread across much of southern Manitoba this morning as a low pressure system pushed a warm front into the region. A burst of moderate to heavy snow has moved through the region this morning, and now milder temperatures will spread across the region with daytime highs of -5 to 0 °C across southern Manitoba. As the warm air moves in, stiff southerly winds will shift to lighter westerlies.

A cold front will sweep through later today, ushering in some light snow and a major shift in the weather. Temperatures will plummet into the minus teens tonight as northwesterly winds strengthen into the 40 to 50 km/h range with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. It’s likely that lake-effect snow will develop off the lee of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg, producing a band of flurries that could last well into Wednesday.

The colder temperatures, new snow, and strong winds will likely produce widespread blowing snow across the region, though limited snowpack inside of Winnipeg could reduce the overall amount of blowing snow within city limits. Of particular concern will be the Trans-Canada Highway corridor between Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie where strong winds, existing snow, and lake-effect snow could combine to produce white out conditions and potential highway closures heading through Wednesday.

With those strong northwest winds, temperatures will only recover a couple degrees on Wednesday before dropping down to a low in the -20 to -25 °C range on Wednesday night. Wind chilled values will likely hover in the -25 to -30 range all day then closer to -30 overnight as the wind dies off.

A ridge of high pressure over the province on Thursday should bring partly cloudy skies to the region, light winds, and highs in the mid-minus teens.

Long Range Outlook

Another notable pattern shift will occur late this week as a strong low pressure system is forecast to track across the southern Arctic. This system will send warmer air sweeping across the Prairies, sending daytime highs back towards the 0 °C mark on the Weekend. More snow looks possible eon Sunday as a cold front pushes through the region, then it looks like a return to near-seasonal conditions for much of next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -7 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -16 °C.