Author: Brad

Brad lives in Winnipeg with his wife and two children and is the founder of A Weather Moment. He has loved weather from a very young age and has followed that passion through his life so far. He received a B.Sc. in Earth Sciences with Specialization in Atmospheric Sciences and is currently employed in the field of meteorology. You can find the author as WeatherInThePeg on Mastodon.

More Snow in Southern Manitoba as Warm-Up Begins

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Winnipeg will see another burst of snow later today as warmer air begins spreading into Manitoba.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 06Z Saturday March 30, 2024
A low pressure system with an inverted trough will cross southern Manitoba on Saturday night.

Forecasts have shifted over the past few days regarding the next low pressure system moving through the province today. What earlier in the week was forecast to weaken as it moves into Manitoba is now expected to maintain its integrity. As a result, not only will skies cloud over today, light snow will spread from western Manitoba into the Red River Valley later this afternoon. Winds will pick up out of the southeast to around 20 km/h as temperatures climb to a high near +1 °C.

The snow will continue overnight before tapering off on Saturday morning. While areas in western Manitoba will see close to 10 cm of snow, amounts in the Red River Valley will be less. Winnipeg will likely see 2 to 5 cm of snow by the time it tapers off, though there is an off-chance of seeing totals in the 5 to 10 cm range. Temperatures will head down to a low near -4 °C tonight.

Skies will stay mainly cloudy on Saturday as a trough of low pressure hanging back into the region continues to weaken. Light westerly winds will develop as temperatures bounce back above freezing into the low single digits for the daytime high. Skies will begin to clear out overnight with a low in the -10 to -5 °C range.

A ridge of high pressure will begin moving into the region on Sunday, bringing partly cloudy skies and light winds. Daytime highs will again climb above freezing into the low single digits. Temperatures will dip down into the -15 to -10 °C range on Sunday night with partly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

The warm-up starts in earnest early next week as an upper ridge begins building into the Prairies. This will push milder Pacific air eastwards, sending daytime highs into the 5 to 10 °C range for much of next week.

It looks dry through much of the week, though a couple passing systems could bring a chance of rain showers or light snow.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is +4 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -7 °C.

Chance of Snow as Colorado Low Lifts North, Then a Gradual Warm-Up Begins

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The Winnipeg area will see a chance of light snow today as a Colorado Low lifts into northwest Ontario. Once it passes, the region will move into a gradual warming trend towards Spring weather.

RPDS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 00Z Wednesday March 27, 2024
A Colorado Low lifting northwards into Ontario will support driving northerly winds across southern Manitoba today.

It will be a cool day in Winnipeg today with daytime highs barely reaching the seasonal overnight low for this time of year. Northerly winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h will drive this cooler air southwards through the day, limiting Winnipeg’s high to around -7 °C. This will be accompanied by cloudy skies and a chance for light snow; a Colorado Low lifting through NW Ontario will spread light snow into eastern Manitoba, but this far west it will struggle against drier air undercutting it. We’ll likely see flakes through the day, but accumulations should be minimal.

A ridge of high pressure will continue to push colder air into the region on Tuesday night, but cloud cover will moderate the overnight low. Those northerly winds will gradually ease overnight as temperatures head to a low in the -15 to -10 °C range.

Skies will stay cloudy on Wednesday as the low departs NW Ontario and the surface ridge moves in. Temperatures will rebound to a high near -5 °C with northerly winds of 30 gusting 50 km/h easing later in the day. Skies should clear out on Wednesday night with temperatures dropping into the -20 to -15 °C range as the ridge of high pressure moves in.

The region will see sunny skies on Thursday as warmer temperatures slowly move back into the region on the backside of the departing high. Winnipeg should see a high in the -5 to 0 °C range on Thursday afternoon and a low near -10 °C on Thursday night.

Long Range Outlook

The end of the week and the weekend will start with a chance of light snow as the stagnant pattern over the region breaks down and a disturbance crosses the southern Prairies. Daytime highs will creep above freezing, though, and in Winnipeg little accumulation is likely. Sunshine should return to the region on Sunday with a high in the 0 to +5 °C range.

Heading into next week, a couple disturbances will slump through Manitoba as a broader push of warm air occurs. This will bring a slight chance of snow or rain, depending on its timing, in the first half of the week. Daytime highs will climb into the 5 to 10 °C range and stay there while overnight lows vary from -10 to 0 °C.

A low pressure system crossing the Prairies mid-week could even bring daytime highs in the 10 to 15 °C range! The warmth will melt the snow left in the city and, combined with the strengthening sun, will likely shift the region into steadier Spring weather.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is +3 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -8 °C.

Friday Rain Gives Way to Cooler Weekend Weather

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A low pressure system crossing the province will bring rain to Winnipeg today, but its cold front will usher in cooler weather for the weekend.

RDPS Precipitation Type and Rate Forecast valid 21Z Friday March 15, 2024
A wintery mix will spread southwards through Manitoba today.

As we mentioned on Tuesday, a low pressure system will drop through Manitoba today, spreading a large area of precipitation across the region. An area of snow mixed with rain will spread southeastwards out of central Manitoba this morning, gradually transitioning to mainly rain as temperatures warm through the day. In Winnipeg, precipitation will begin midday; with temperatures near 0 °C, it will likely start as snow, but as temperatures climb towards a high near 5 °C in the afternoon, it will change over to rain quickly. Periods of rain will be likely through the afternoon with westerly winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h.

In the evening, a cold front will sweep through the region and usher in northwesterly winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h. The front will bring an end to the rain, replacing it with a chance of flurries that will last through the night and into Saturday morning. Temperatures will head to a low near -5 °C.

For the weekend, the weather will be shaped by a large Arctic high that will slowly slump into the province. This will result in a gradual break-up of the cloud cover in the region as a cooler air mass pushes into the region. Daytime highs will slump into the -5 to 0 °C range on Saturday and near -5 °C on Sunday. Overnight lows will dip down into the minus teens both nights. Winds will be breezy through the weekend with northwest winds of 30 to 40 km/h on Saturday easing into the 20 to 30 km/h range on Sunday.

Long Range Outlook

Another disturbance will pass through the region on Monday and bring another push of warmer air. Daytime highs should climb back up close to +5 °C on Monday with moderate southerly winds.

Behind this system, an upper trough is forecast to dig into the Prairies; this will bring cooler temperatures for the rest of next week with daytime highs falling below 0 °C. Much of the week will be dry, but there could be accumulating snow across southern Manitoba mid-week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -1 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -11 °C.

Mild Week Ahead With Above-Freezing Highs in Winnipeg

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With daytime highs above freezing through the rest of the week, Winnipeg will see cloudier conditions develop as the snowpack across the region undergoes significant melt.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Wednesday March 13, 2024
Mild temperatures with daytime highs above freezing will be commonplace across the southern Prairies this week.

Warm Pacific air will sweep across the Prairies this week as upper ridging gradually dominates the upper air pattern over the coming days. As a result, Winnipeg will see daytime highs that climb above freezing throughout the work week.

It won’t all be sunshine though; a cold front dipped southwards overnight and another frontal boundary will slowly drop southwards through the province over the coming days. This will bring cloudier skies to the region with daytime highs in the +1 to +4°C range. Dew point values are expected to climb above freezing both today and tomorrow which will aid in the melting and erosion of the snow pack. Overnight lows will dip into the -5 to 0 °C range over the next several nights.

A weak disturbance will bring light snow to southwest Manitoba on Wednesday; while there may be a chance of flurries in Winnipeg, the system is likely to fall apart west of the Red River Valley.

As the melt continues through the week and the cloud lingers across the region, the chance of seeing fog patches or mist will increase. Northerly winds will pick up in the second half of the week which should help clear out any lingering moisture in the air.

Long Range Outlook

The next system of note will be a low pressure system dropping southeastwards through Manitoba on Friday. This system could bring a mix of rain and snow to the Red River Valley, though current indications are that it should pull enough warm air eastwards that most of the precipitation would be rain.

GDPS Precipitation Type and Rate Forecast valid 00Z Saturday March 16, 2024
A low pressure system moving through Manitoba on Friday will bring a mix of rain and snow to the province.

This system could bring rain amounts ranging from a trace to the 5–10 mm range across the Red River Valley. With a cold front swinging through on Friday night, it would leave behind cooler weather with a chance of flurries into the weekend.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -2 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -12 °C.