Warm Weather Surges Back Into Southern Manitoba

After just a couple cool days, Pacific warmth will surge across southern Manitoba today and bring milder weather back to the region.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 15Z Tuesday November 28, 2023
A a warm front will push eastwards across southern Manitoba on Tuesday morning.

Residents of the Red RIver Valley will wake to breezy southerly winds this morning as a warm front quickly pushes towards the region. Wind chill values in the morning will reach into the mid-minus 20s, but that cold will be short-lived. There will be a chance of some light snow in the cloud cover ahead of the front, but little more than a dusting is expected given the dryness of the air in the southerly return flow.

The front will pass through the region midday; behind it winds will shift westerly and temperatures will rise dramatically; afternoon highs across the Red River Valley will climb to around 0 °C with many areas climbing a degree or two above freezing along and west of the Red River. 

As the warm air floods east, another change is happening in the Arctic that will also have an impact on the weather in southern Manitoba. Over the next few days, a low pressure system over Québec will lift northwards and then retrograde westwards into Foxe Basin; as it does, the broader vortex its rotating around will begin to drop southwards. This will allow a subsequent Atlantic low to pull westwards through Baffin Island and into Canada’s northern areas as well. This will flood the Arctic with milder Atlantic air and erode the store of cold air in the region.

This is notable because as the weather pattern erodes over Manitoba through the weekend, the northerly winds will be tapping into cooling Atlantic air rather than bitterly cold Arctic air. This will help keep warmer air around as a northerly component to the flow won’t suddenly usher temperatures of -20 °C southwards.

The end result will be a prolonged period of seasonably mild temperatures for Winnipeg and other areas in southern Manitoba. Daytime highs will hover in the -5 to 0 °C range, or even a bit warmer, through much of the week while overnight hover in the -5 to -10 °C range. Depending on exact daytime highs, the region could also see an erosion of the limited snow cover put down by Saturday night’s brief snowfall.

Long Range Outlook

Near-seasonal or seasonably mild temeperatures and dry weather looks to continue well into next week with little change expected through the first half. If anything, long-range forecast show that after a brief cool-down to near-seasonal temperatures at the end of this week, daytime highs might pop back up to around freezing to start next week.

So far, a notably mild November that will certainly help winter feel not quite so long this year!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -6 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -14 °C.

Lovely Fall Weather Continues

Seasonably mild temperatures will continue across southern Manitoba in what has been a pleasant fall so far.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Tuesday October 17, 2023
An approaching low pressure system will bring very mild late-October temperatures to southern Manitoba on Tuesday.

A low pressure system advancing towards the province will bring some cloud cover and mild weather to Winnipeg today. With skies becoming mixed this morning, temperatures will warm into the mid- to upper teens this afternoon.

The low will begin moving through the region this evening, bringing with it a chance of rain showers. The heaviest rain will likely end up southeast of Winnipeg with amounts near 5 to 10 mm. Amounts will quickly drop off to the northwest of this; Winnipeg will sit along the edge, but at least a couple millimetres of rain seems likely. It will be a warm night with a low near 10 °C.

On Wednesday, northerly winds will pick up behind the low as any lingering showers move out of the region. Temperatures will rebound back into the mid-teens with northerly winds up to 30 gusting 50 km/h. Skies will take their time clearing out, but Winnipeg will likely see a bit of sun before evening.

A ridge of high pressure will move through the province on Wednesday night and Thursday. This will allow temperatures to dip into the -5 to 0 °C range on Wednesday night. On Thursday,  temperatures will bounce back into the mid-teens again as another push of warmer air moves in from the west. A weak low will slide through the region on Thursday night, bringing with it another chance for some light rain showers.

Long Range Outlook

Friday will mark the start of a gradual transition of southern Manitoba’s weather into a cooler, more unsettled pattern. On the back side of Thursday night’s low, cooler temperatures will gradually slump into the Prairies from the Arctic. As this cold front pushes south over the next week, disturbances will ripple northeastwards ahead and along it, bringing waves of rain or snow to the Prairies.

This will result in variable cloudiness turning mainly cloudy next week and gradually cooling temperatures in Winnipeg. There will be a chance of some rain on Saturday, as well as a more organized chance of accumulating rain early next week. By mid-week, lake-effect rain showers will likely return to southern Manitoba.

Daytime highs will cool to the 0 to 5 °C range with overnight lows well below freezing through this period. The region could also see some of the first snowflakes of the season late next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 9 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -1 °C.

Summer Heat Returns This Weekend in Winnipeg

Winnipeg will see one last blast of summer this weekend before fall weather moves in next week. Daytime highs in the upper 20s and the risk of severe thunderstorms return to southern Manitoba this weekend.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Sunday October 1, 2023
Warm and humid late-season warmth will push into southern Manitoba on Sunday with highs in the upper 20s and relatively humid conditions.

The work week will end on a pleasant note in Winnipeg with mixed skies today and a daytime high in the low 20s. Temperatures will dip down into the mid-single digits tonight, a cooler low thanks to a weak area of high pressure moving through the province.

On Saturday, the region will see light east-southeast winds as temperatures climb back up into the low 20s. Skies should stay mainly sunny through the day, but some cloud could start pushing into the region later in the day.

Heading through Saturday night into Sunday, there will be a very strong push of warmer air northwards as a low pressure system lifts through the United States towards the southeastern Prairies. A warm front will push northwards through the night with notable late-season instability developing towards Sunday morning.

By early Sunday morning, MUCAPE values are forecast to climb above 1,000 J/kg as moist air sourced from dew points in the upper teens ascends over the warm front. This will likely support elevated convection into Sunday morning, starting in SW Manitoba and progressing east-northeast. There is a risk that some of these thunderstorms could be severe with the main threat being large hail.

Sunday will be a very warm day if everything goes as planned. The warm front will lift north of Winnipeg, putting the city back into a hot and humid air mass. Temperatures will likely climb into the upper 20s with dew points reaching the high teens, making it feel more like low to mid 30s. An isolated thunderstorm or two will be possible near the warm front late in the day, but it’s just as likely that the capping inversion will hold.

Temperatures will dip back down into the mid-teens on Sunday night with cloudier skies and a chance of showers.

Long Range Outlook

Next week will mark the slow transition to more fall-like weather across the region. Winnipeg will see cloudier skies with numerous chances for showers as the daytime highs gradually drop from around 20 °C to around 10 °C. Even cooler weather may move into the region to start the week after, so enjoy that last blast of summer warmth on Sunday before the chill sets in!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 15 °C while the seasonal overnight low is +4 °C.

Hot and Unsettled Weather Continues

Hot and muggy weather will stick around in Winnipeg for a few more days along with more chances for thunderstorms. Some relief is on the way for the end of the week, though, with more seasonal conditions arriving on Friday.

A hot and humid air mass will remain in place over southern Manitoba on Tuesday.

An upper high entrenched over the eastern Prairies means little change is on the way for Winnipeg over the next few days. That said, there is a change on the way. A developing low pressure system over the southern Arctic is beginning to push cooler air into the northern Prairies. As it matures in the coming days, that cooler air will continue to slump southwards through the Prairies. By Friday, this cold front will sweep through southern Manitoba, clearing out the humidity and lowering temperatures back towards more seasonal values.

Before we get to that, though, there will be a few more days of hot and unsettled conditions in the Winnipeg area. The daytime high will reach the low 30s again today, then ease into the upper 20s for the next couple days. That humid air mass will keep overnight lows mild with lows in the 18 to 20 °C range.

Each of the next few days will also continue to bring a risk of thunderstorms across the region. Here in the Red River Valley, scattered thunderstorms are possible today, but not likely until closer to the evening. Much of the activity will stay west of the region on Wednesday, but an isolated thunderstorm is possible. On Thursday, a chance of thunderstorms will develop across the region later in the day as a cold front pushes through.

With the heat and humidity in the region, there will be a risk of severe thunderstorms over the region. That being said, most will likely be non-severe. Any that manage to organize to severe limits will mainly pose a torrential rain and hail threat.

Long Range Outlook

A break from the heat and humidity will stick around for the weekend, a welcome relief for many. Daytime highs will vary from the low to mid-20s this weekend, feeling very comfortable thanks to lower humidity levels. That drier air mass will also allow overnight lows to cool off into the low to mid-teens.

Warmer weather is expected to return next week with daytime highs climbing back into the 30s.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 23 °C while the seasonal overnight low is 9 °C.