Typical Winter Weather Finally Arrives

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Colder winter conditions have finally arrived in southern Manitoba, bringing an end to an extended period of unseasonable warmth. The plunge won’t last long, though, with more mild weather arriving mid-week.

An arctic ridge has moved into southern Manitoba overnight, sending temperatures to more typical January values. With the Arctic air entrenched over the region, don’t expect too much recovery today. Temperatures will rise a bit to a high near -16 °C, but colder air continues to push southwards into the province. The the city should see partly cloudy skies today, followed by mixed skies overnight. The wind will be a bit chilly today out of the north at 15–20 km/h.

The Red River Valley will see mixed skies on Tuesday in the wake of a weak low that slumps from Saskatchewan into North Dakota on Monday night. Temperatures will rebound to a high near -15 °C with a chance of morning flurries. By late in the day, a potent low will begin diving southeast into the Prairies. This will push much milder air into the eastern Prairies. A strong warm front will push into southern Manitoba through the night, strengthening southerly winds into the 30–40 km/h range. Temperatures will climb to around -8 °C by Wednesday morning with a chance of snow late overnight.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 06Z Wednesday January 20, 2021
A potent warm front will push eastwards across southern Manitoba on Tuesday night, ushering in much warmer temperatures.

Wednesday will bring mostly cloudy conditions to Winnipeg with moderate westerly winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h. It will be the warmer temperatures this low is bringing that’s supporting those strong winds and the city will see highs back above freezing near +2 °C. There will be a chance for some light snow, or possibly rain showers, through the day but most of the precipitation is forecast to stay north of Winnipeg. The winds will keep up on Wednesday night, shifting more northerly overnight as a cold front slumps southwards. Temperatures will dip to a low near -11 °C.

Long Range Outlook

The rest of the work week will bring a cool-down back to seasonal temperatures alongside cloudier conditions. The sun should return for the end of the week with near-seasonal temperatures for the weekend.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -23 °C.

Cooler, Cloudy Weather Ahead

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Winnipeg will see plenty of cloud over the coming days as Thursday’s low pressure system clears out and a weaker one arrives.

The city will see mainly cloudy skies today with slight snow tapering off as the influence from yesterday’s low wanes. A cold front will sweep through the region this morning, keeping things windy as temperatures fall towards -9 °C by the end of the afternoon. The winds will taper off in the evening as a ridge slides southeastwards into the Red River Valley. Skies will stay mainly cloudy through the night with a low near -14 °C.

RDPS 10m AGL Wind Forecast valid 18Z Friday January 15, 2021
Moderate northerly winds near 40 gusting 60 km/h will gradually taper off through Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, the city will stay under the ridge for most of day with light winds. While a bit of snow is possible, the ridge should keep most of it suppressed through the day. Temperatures will rebound to a high near -6 °C. On Saturday night, a low pressure system will move into northern Manitoba and drag an occluding frontal wave into the province. Winnipeg will see a low near -10 °C with a chance for some light snow overnight.

On Sunday, Winnipeg will see more cloud cover and some light snow as the frontal wave collapses through the region. Temperatures will warm a bit with a high near -4 °C with light northwest winds. Another ridge will push into the region overnight, sending temperatures to a low near -15 °C under mostly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

Near-seasonal temperatures will arrive to start next week with daytime highs finally dipping into the -10 to -15 °C range. A mid-week low pressure system will bring mild conditions and a chance for some more snow to the city, then near-seasonal temperatures will push back into the region with highs dipping into the mid-minus teens.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -24 °C.

A Blustery Storm Ushers In Colder Conditions

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One more warm day, then a blustery storm system moving through will shift Winnipeg into a cooler weather pattern.

A low pressure system moving into the province tonight will usher in a change for Winnipeg’s general weather pattern. Today will still be mild with temperatures climbing up to around -1 °C with mixed skies becoming cloudy this evening. The wind will be a little more noticeable today, picking up out of the south into the 20–30 km/h range for the afternoon and evening.

The low will arrive this evening, bringing warm air that will send temperatures up above 0 °C overnight. There will be a chance for a wintery mix overnight (snow, freezing rain, rain), but what exactly falls is highly dependent on the track of the low and how warm it ends up being. The temperature will drop below freezing to around -1 °C by Thursday morning.

RDPS Precipitation Type/Rate Forecast valid 09Z Thursday January 14, 2021
A low pressure system crossing the province will bring a wintery mix to the region on Wednesday night, followed by snow on Thursday.

Moderate northwest winds will move in on Thursday, strengthening to 30–40 km/h with gusts up to 60 km/h. Much of the region will see periods of light snow with widespread accumulations of 2–4 cm. A cold front passing through on Thursday night will reinforce the winds and bring more light snow to the region. This snow and wind will likely produce some areas of poor visibility in blowing snow on Thursday night. Temperatures will head to a low near -8 °C.

By Friday, it’s all cold air advection. Temperatures will struggle to move much from their starting point in the morning as the moderate northwest winds continue. Temperatures will only climb a degree or two above the day’s starting point for a high near -7 °C. The snow should taper off through the day, but skies will stay cloudy. The winds will ease Friday night with temperatures heading to a low near -13 °C under mostly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

Cooler temperatures will persist right through next week with daytime highs generally in the -5 to -10 °C range and overnight lows dipping into the minus teens. Skies will stay on the cloudier side, and with the expected temperatures there will be a chance for some non-accumulating light snow on many days.

By the end of next week, it looks increasingly like the polar vortex will shift southwards and begin to flood central and eastern Canada with much colder polar air. This will likely mark the start of an extended period of generally below-seasonal temperatures with the potential for outbreaks of extreme cold.

Winter had to arrive at some point…enjoy the pleasant conditions while they last!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -24 °C.

More Warm Weather Ahead

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No notable changes to start the week for Winnipeg with more unseasonably mild temperatures ahead. A change in the weather will arrive for Thursday.

The Canadian Prairies will continue to see a zonal flow aloft this week, running along the northern edge of a broad upper-level ridge. This will keep the milder Pacific air coming and give Winnipeg dry, warm weather.

As a result, the city will see daytime highs of -2 to +1 °C over the coming days. Overnight lows will cool slightly over the next couple nights into the -5 to -7 °C range. On Wednesday, a low pressure system moving through the province will bring more cloud and warmth. This system will likely keep temperatures above freezing on Wednesday night.

Winds will stay light over the coming days. On Tuesday, areas along the Red River Valley’s western escarpment will see some breezy downslope winds, but they should ease to light by the central Red River Valley. On Wednesday night, the low moving across the province will strengthen winds in Winnipeg out of the south-southwest to 30 gusting 50 km/h by Thursday morning.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Tuesday January 12, 2021
Downslope winds over the western Red River Valley will push temperatures above freezing on Tuesday.

Conditions will stay fairly dry over the coming days. A passing flurry is possible on Tuesday, but the next organized chance for precipitation will be Wednesday night as the low passes. Some rain showers are possible overnight, followed by a freeze early Thursday and more snow and wind.

Long Range Outlook

Thursday looks to be an unpleasant day across the region. Snow will move through the region on Thursday into Thursday night with a total likely near 5 cm. With the snow will come strong northwest winds into the 40–50 km/h range will entrench over the region that will linger into Friday. The combination of temperature falling below freezing on Wednesday night, fresh snow, and strong winds will likely lead to poor travel conditions through Thursday.

The passage of this low will shift Winnipeg into a slightly cooler weather pattern. Temperatures will still stay above seasonal values, but will be a bit more “wintery” than seen lately. Daytime highs are forecast to fall into the -5 to -10 °C range with lows into the minus teens.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -13 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -24 °C.