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.

Pleasant Fall Weekend Ahead

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It will be a pleasant weekend for the Winnipeg region with plenty of sun and near-seasonal temperatures.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Saturday October 26, 2024
Pleasant late-fall temperatures will settle over southern Manitoba this weekend.

The week will end with settled conditions as an area of high pressure moves across the province. Northwesterly winds of 20 to 30 km/h will ease tonight as the ridge builds in, then gradually shift southerly and then easterly over the following 24 hours. Temperatures will climb to a high near 10 °C both today and Saturday, but tonight will be colder than Saturday night. Expect a low closer to -5 °C tonight and dipping just below freezing on Saturday night.

Both days should bring plenty of sun to the region, but some warmer air beginning to push towards the region on Saturday will bring mixed skies into the afternoon.

On Sunday, a more organized southerly flow will develop over the region in response to a low developing in Alberta. This will likely result in southeasterly winds that pick up into the 20–30 km/h range by evening and then strengthen into the night. It will be warmer on Sunday with a high in the low teens and a low on Sunday night that stays in the 5–10 °C range. Skies will likely be a mix of sun and cloud.

Long Range Outlook

Next week looks to start off warm with a high in the mid-teens under sunny skies on Monday. After that, seasonal temperatures will filter back into the region for the rest of the week. No precipitation is in the forecast until close to Halloween.

For Halloween, guidance largely continues to suggest a pleasant day overall with a high in the mid-single digits that drops close to freezing for the evening. Still looking like a solid improvement from what the region saw last year!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 7 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -3 °C.

Cool and Rainy Tuesday Brings an End to Late Fall Warmth

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A cold front will bring cool and rainy conditions to southern Manitoba today as it ushers near-seasonal temperatures back into the region.

ECMWF 24hr. Precipitation Accumulation Forecast valid 12Z Wednesday October 23, 2024
Much of southern Manitoba will receive rain from a cold front crossing the region today.

The weather today will be a rather marked change from yesterday. Instead of beautiful sunny conditions with warm weather, a cold front will bring clouds and rain to Winnipeg along with much cooler conditions.

Rain will begin mid-morning today and last into the early afternoon. Winnipeg will likely end up with 5–10 mm of rain before it tapers off, but there’s a small chance that it might drift just a bit north of the city, lowering our amounts. Other than that, moderate northwest winds of 30–40 km/h will spread into the region this morning and persist through the day. These cool winds will send temperatures falling into the afternoon, dipping down to 3 or 4 °C by the end of the work day.

Those northwest winds will continue into the evening. As temperatures fall, lake-effect precipitation is possible off of Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba. As temperatures continue to drop overnight, it could result in a few snow flurries moving through the Red River Valley. The best chance for snow, though, will be in the lee of Lake Winnipeg where bands of lake-effect snow will likely last through the night.

Temperatures will drop to around -1 °C overnight in Winnipeg with winds dying off.

With a ridge of high pressure moving through the region, Wednesday will bring mainly sunny skies as the lake-effect cloud clears out. Temperatures will climb to a high near 10 °C with southerly winds picking back up to around 30 km/h.

A weak frontal wave moving through the region on Thursday night with bring cloudy skies back to the area. This will help keep temperatures a bit warmer; Winnipeg should see an overnight low in the low single digits rather than dipping below freezing. Those southerly winds will also drop off overnight.

Expect clearing skies on Thursday with light northwest winds picking up. Temperatures should again climb to a high around 10 °C. Heading through the night temperatures will dip down to around freezing under clear skies.

Long Range Outlook

A broad area of high pressure will build into the Prairies from the west through the weekend as a weak upper ridge builds in the west. This will bring sunny to partly cloudy skies to southern Manitoba with seasonably mild highs in the 10 to 15 °C range. Overnight lows will range from sub-freezing back to the mid-single digits.

Looking even further ahead, early indications that Halloween this year will be much nicer than last year’s. Rather than temperatures near -9 °C with 20–30 km/h winds making it feel closer to -20, early signs point to an evening with temperatures around +1 °C and winds near 20 km/h. This is obviously subject to change since it’s a ways away yet, but there are few large-scale patterns that suggest we’ll see a drastic snow/cool-down before Halloween this year. Hopefully that forecast can hold!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 8 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -2 °C.

Seasonably Warm Temperatures Returning Later This Week

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The Winnipeg area will see one more cool fall day before warmer weather begins to push back into the region again.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Thursday October 17, 2024
An upper ridge will spread warmer temperatures back into southern Manitoba this week.

A stubborn high pressure system will keep cooler temperatures in place across southern Manitoba today. After a frosty start to the day, winds will pick up out of the south into the 20 to 30 km/h range today with daytime highs around the 10 °C mark this afternoon. Things will begin to change tonight, though, as an upper low to our east begins to move off and an upper ridge starts to build across the Prairies. With warmer temperatures beginning to spread into the southern Prairies, temperatures will only dip into the mid-single digits tonight. Winds will persist out of the south around 20 km/h.

The Winnipeg area will have mainly sunny skies for much of the rest of the week. As the upper ridge builds in, daytime highs will climb close to 20 °C with southeasterly winds gradually strengthening up to 40 gusting 60 km/h for Thursday. Overnight lows will climb towards the upper single digits.

Long Range Outlook

A low pressure system will push through the province on Friday, bringing a chance of showers that will be highest east of Winnipeg and cooler temperatures. Daytime highs will dip back into the low teens for Friday and Saturday, the former bringing cloudier skies to the area while the latter is much sunnier. Another push of warmer weather is possible for Sunday and/or Monday, then the upper pattern begins to change.

Cooler temperatures and a chance of rain is possible in the first half of next week, returning the region back to seasonal temperatures.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 10 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 0 °C.

Unsettled and Windy Weekend Gives Way to Warmer Weather

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After a cold start to Friday morning, temperatures in southern Manitoba will jump back to seasonably warm values, though the weekend will end with blustery conditions and cooler temperatures after rain showers move through on Saturday.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Friday October 4, 2024
Despite a cold start to the day, a low pressure system over the western Prairies will push warmer temperatures back into southern Manitoba today.

Despite a frosty start to the day for many places in southern Manitoba, temperatures will quickly bounce back to above-seasonal values today. A low pressure system developing over the western Prairies will begin spreading warmer air eastwards into Manitoba. Southerly winds will pick up into the 30 gusting 50 km/h range today with sunny skies and an afternoon high in the upper teens. Those winds will continue right through the night as the low tracks through Saskatchewan, keeping temperatures mild with lows in the low teens.

Despite being relatively warm, Saturday will be a bit of an unpleasant day. The main driver for the weather will be a low pressure system crossing through the Interlake, with an energetic cold front that sweeps through later in the day. The day will start with increasing cloudiness as moderate southerly winds continue across the region. Temperatures will climb back into the upper teens as rain spreads into western Manitoba. There’s a small chance of some midday showers in Winnipeg, but the better chance for rain will develop later in the afternoon as a cold front sweeps through. Winds will shift from southerly to westerly and strengthen to 50 gusting 70 km/h as rain wraps into the region.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 21Z Saturday October 5, 2024
Strong westerly winds will blast through southern Manitoba on Saturday afternoon behind a cold front that sweeps through the region.

The rain will taper off overnight as temperatures head to a low in the mid-single digits. The winds will continue through the night, shifting to the northwest and gradually easing into the 30–40 km/h range by Sunday morning. By the end of the night, the main area of rain will be well to the east of the Red River Valley, but a couple bands of lake-effect showers may linger in the lee of the lakes into Sunday morning.

Sunday will be a cooler day with northwest winds of 30 gusting 50 km/h and a high in the low teens. Skies should clear for the afternoon bringing sunshine back to the region. Temperatures will dip close to freezing on Sunday night with clear skies and easing winds.

Long Range Outlook

Next week will bring warmer conditions back to southern Manitoba as the upper low over western Hudson Bay retreats northwards and upper ridging is able to redevelop over the Prairies. Much of the week will bring daytime highs in the upper teens or low 20s with overnight lows near the 10 °C mark. The week should also be dry with no significant precipitation in the forecast.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 14 °C while the seasonal overnight low is +2 °C.