Heading Into A Heat Wave

Winnipeg will see temperatures soar this week as scorching heat builds into the region.

Winnipeg will see plenty of sunshine over the next few days as an upper ridge builds into western Canada. On Tuesday, a weak low moving through southern Manitoba will bring a few more clouds into the region. As it slumps southwards, it will bring a chance for scattered showers or thunderstorms. The support for thunderstorms will be weak — bulk shear will sit at 20–30 knots and try to offset the limited energy — but there will likely be enough forcing to support a few. Skies will clear out again for Wednesday.

RDPS 500mb Wind and Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Wednesday June 2, 2021
A potent upper ridge will build out of the western United States into the Canadian Prairies this week.

The big story will be the building heat this week. As the upper ridge strengthens over the Prairies, Winnipeg will see daytime highs rise from the low 20s today to around 30 °C by Wednesday. Overnight lows will follow suit increasing into the upper teens by mid-week.

Long Range Outlook

The heat will continue to build through the latter half of the week. Daytime highs should peak on Friday in the mid- to upper 30’s as overnight lows stay in the upper teens. Fortunately, dew points are forecast to stay in the low to mid-teens, so humidex values won’t be a significant component of the heat wave. The hot weather will continue into the weekend, then begin to ease as unsettled conditions develop on Sunday into next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 22 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 8 °C.

Seasonal Warmth Returns to Winnipeg

Winnipeg will see temperatures climb back towards seasonal values after this week’s late-season cold snap.

A low pressure system crossing the northern Prairies will usher warmer conditions back to southern Manitoba. Under sunny skies, southerly winds will increase to 40 gusting 60 km/h this afternoon. Temperatures will climb into the upper teens; Winnipeg should see a high near 19 °C. Tonight, an approaching trough will keep winds around 30 km/h as it spreads clouds into the region. Temperatures will dip to a low near 9 °C in Winnipeg.

On Saturday, Winnipeg will see cloudier skies as the trough moves into the Red River Valley. It will bring a chance of showers to the region, but it will weaken through the day as its main energy source pulls away to the south. Winds will stay out of the south again in the 30–40 km/h range. The winds will finally ease on Saturday night to 15–25 km/h with a low near 10 °C.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Sunday May 30, 2021
Warmer weather will return to Winnipeg this weekend.

On Sunday, a weak cold front will sweep through the region. It won’t bring more than partly cloudy skies with breezy northwest winds for the afternoon. The high in Winnipeg will be around 22 °C. Skies will stay clear on Sunday night with a low near 7 °C.

Long Range Outlook

Next week looks mainly dry across the Red River Valley with highs in the mid-20s. Overnight lows should see a boost and stay in the low to mid-teens through the week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 22 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 8 °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.