Brief Blast of Bitterly Cold Temperatures Arrives

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A surge of very cold Arctic air is pushing through Manitoba, but it will be short-lived with a return to seasonal temperatures just around the corner.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Wednesday December 7, 2022
Bitterly cold temperatures will settle over southern Manitoba overnight into Wednesday morning. Temperatures form southeastern Saskatchewan across southern Manitoba will drop into the -30 to -40 °C range.

The Polar Vortex has shifted from the High Arctic southwards into Hudson Bay, sending a surge of very cold Arctic air into the Prairies. A weak disturbance will round the base of the Polar Vortex today, spawning a weak low in North Dakota. This low will track eastwards with an inverted trough that runs northwards into Manitoba.

This system will spread cloud and light snow across southern Manitoba today. Most areas will see 1 to 3 cm of snow by the time it tapers off this evening. It will also be cold, with temperatures struggling to rebound into the -15 to -20 °C range, bolstered only by cloud cover.

Skies will clear out tonight as an Arctic high barrels into the province. With clear skies, temperatures will plummet tonight. Winnipeg will see a low in the -30 to -35 °C early Wednesday morning. Fortunately winds will be light, so wind chill won’t be a major factor, inasmuch as it matters when its already so cold.

With the high in place, Wednesday will be clear and cold. Temperatures will recover to around -20 °C by late in the afternoon with increasing southerly winds. Wind chill values will sit in the -30 to -35 range by the evening.

Fortunately, those breezy southerlies are a sign of warmer weather beginning to work its way into the region. Temperatures will rise towards the mid-minus teens on Wednesday nights, the continue climbing towards -10 °C on Thursday.

There will be a bit of cloud around on Wednesday night, but Thursday should bring mainly sunny skies. 

Temperatures will head to a low in the mid-minus teens on Thursday night with increasing cloudiness.

Long Range Outlook

Temperatures will continue to warm on Friday, reaching a high close to -5 °C with mostly cloudy skies. Some light snow is likely on Friday night, but accumulations will be minimal.

That will mark the transition to a much cloudier, but warmer pattern. The region will see plenty of cloud cover through the weekend and into next week, but daytime highs will climb close to the freezing mark.

Some light snow will be possible on several days, beginning Sunday through Tuesday, with a gradual return to near-seasonal temperatures during that period.

So, the forecast is the ol’ Winnipeg dilemma: bone-chilling cold and plenty of sun, or pleasant winter warmth with socked in cloud cover. Hopefully there’s a little bit to like in the forecast for everyone.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -8 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -17 °C.

Unpleasant Blast of Winter Weather Arrives

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Strong northwest winds will send temperatures plummeting in Winnipeg today.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Saturday December 3, 2022
A very cold air mass will move over the entire Prairies today with temperatures ranging from -20 to -35 °C across the region by Saturday morning.

A disturbance that brought snow to parts of western Manitoba will bring about quite a pattern chance for Winnipeg today. As the system tracks off to the east, moderate to strong northwest winds will develop and draw colder Arctic air into the region.

In Winnipeg, winds will increase to around 40 gusting 60 km/h midday, while to the west and south of the city the winds will be stronger, reaching as high as 50 gusting 70 km/h. These winds will send temperatures falling from around -11 °C this morning to around -18 °C by the evening. Wind chill values will become an issue later in the day, falling into the -30s by late afternoon.

The winds will also produce blowing snow through the Red River Valley, but the worst hit area will likely be the Trans-Canada Highway corridor between Elie and Portage la Prairie. If travelling through that area today, be prepared for the potential for road closures due to poor driving conditions this afternoon.

The wind will ease this evening with clearing skies. Temperatures will dip to a low around -23 °C.

A ridge of high pressure will move across the region on Saturday, keeping skies clear and temperatures cold. Winnipeg will see temperatures climb to a high near -15 °C with a southwest wind near 20 km/h. Temperatures will dip to a low near -20 °C tonight with increasing cloud towards Sunday morning.

On Sunday, a low pressure system will move through the region, dropping from northern Saskatchewan into the Interlake. It will bring warmer temperatures back to the region with highs into the -5 to -10 °C range along with some light snow. The north winds will return on Sunday night, sending temperatures downwards through the day on Monday.

Long Range Outlook

Arctic air returns early next week, bringing some of the coldest temperatures Winnipeg’s seen so far this winter. Temperatures will likely drop towards the -20 °C mark on Monday, then continue into the mid-minus twenties on Monday night. Tuesday could be the first day of the season with a daytime high colder than -20 °C, but temperatures then look to gradually moderate through the remainder of the week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -6 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -13 °C.

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A Few Flurries Usher in Cooler Weather

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The Winnipeg area will see mixed skies with some occasional light snow over the coming days as cooler weather slumps into the region.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 00Z Wednesday November 30, 2022
Moderate to strong northwesterly winds will begin to usher in a colder air mass later today.

Cooler temperatures will filter southwards into Manitoba this week behind a departing low pressure system. This low will track from the Interlake eastwards into Ontario today with strengthening northerly winds developing in its wake. In Winnipeg, northwest winds will strengthen up to 40 gusting 60 km/h by the evening as skies cloud over. Once the cloud moves in, flurries will be likely across the region, and there may be some localized blowing snow in the area by evening. Temperatures will reach a high near -3 °C today, then dip down below -10 °C overnight tonight.

On Wednesday, the wind and flurries will taper off through the day, but the clouds might not break up until later in the afternoon. Temperatures will be much cooler with a high near -9 °C. With some clear breaks overnight, temperatures will fall into the mid-minus teens for a low overnight.

On Thursday, another low pressure system will begin approaching from the west, spreading more cloud cover into the region. Winds will pick up out of the south to around 30 km/h with highs a tad warmer, closer to -7 °C or so. With the thickening cloud cover, temperatures will stay a bit warmer on Thursday night, only dipping to around -10 °C. This approaching low will spread snow into southern Manitoba with the first flakes likely falling by early Friday morning.

Long Range Outlook

Snow will taper off later Friday with northerly winds picking up through the day. The region could see anywhere from 2–5 cm of snow, and temperatures will fall into the minus teens by the end of the day.

The cloud cover will break up on Friday night as a colder air mass moves into the region. Beginning on the weekend, daytime highs will dip below -10 °C while overnight lows head toward the -20s, bringing the first real shot of winter cold to southern Manitoba. While there will be some ups and downs, temperatures look like they’ll continue to drop next week with daytime highs possibly falling into the low minus teens by midweek.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -6 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -15 °C.

Mild Weather Continues Into the Weekend

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Beautiful late-November weather will continue in Winnipeg for a few more days with daytime highs climbing above freezing.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Friday November 25, 2022
The southern Prairies will see very mild daytime highs on Friday, though existing snow pack could limit some of the warmest temperatures if the winds can’t mix out all of the cool air near the snow-covered surface.

An upper ridge over the Prairies continues to bring seasonably mild temperatures to the region. Across southern Manitoba, daytime highs climbed above freezing yesterday and will stay there for another couple days yet. With Pacific air continuing to wash over the Prairies, daytime highs in Winnipeg will climb above 0 °C into the low single digits both today and tomorrow.

The wind strengthen out of south-southwest today to around 30 km/h and then ease tonight. A weak cold front will go through, bringing some cloud overnight, and then the winds will pick up out of the northwest Saturday into the 20 to 30 km/h range.

The pattern across the Prairies will begin to change on Sunday as the upper ridge collapses and a low pressure system begins to drop southeastwards across the Prairies. As it approaches, the wind will pick back up out of the southeast through the Red River Valley, but the warmer air will have slumped a bit south and more cloud will build into the region. Temperatures climb to a high near freezing, but with cloud building through the day and breezy southeasterlies, it will feel much cooler than the prior days.

As the low pushes into the region on Sunday night, light snow will blossom across the region.

Long Range Outlook

A bit of a complex setup will develop next week as energy collapses southwards from the low over southern Manitoba to a developing Colorado Low. While the Colorado Low will likely impact Ontario, the interaction of these two systems could support some periods of light snow across the region for a couple days.

By the middle of next week, cooler temperatures will begin slumping into the Prairies, sending daytime highs down below -10 °C with overnight lows dipping into the low teens.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -5 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -13 °C.