Tag: Below-Normal Temperatures

Arctic Blast Brings Bitterly Cold February Temperatures

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The Polar Vortex has dropped southwards out of the High Arctic, once again bringing a surge of bitterly cold temperatures to the Canadian Prairies.

The Polar Vortex has dropped southwards out of the High Arctic, once again bringing a surge of bitterly cold temperatures to the Canadian Prairies.

Temperatures falling into the minus 30s on Wednesday night will combine with light winds to produce wind chill values of -40 or colder across many parts of the southern Prairies on Wednesday morning.

Temperatures will plummet well below seasonal values in Winnipeg this week as cold air from the Polar Vortex spills into the region. Daytime highs will sit several degrees below the seasonal overnight lows through the rest of the work week. A high near -20 °C today will fall into the mid-minus 20s on Wednesday, then gradually recover back towards -20 °C again through Thursday and Friday.

This cold air will be represented at the surface by a potent Arctic High that extends from Yukon Territory southeastwards into the Prairies before turning east through NW Ontario. This feature will also send overnight lows tanking, dipping into the -25 to -30 °C range most nights, with a chance for a couple lows below -30. 

The bitterly cold temperatures combined with light winds will likely result in extreme cold warnings at times over the coming days.

That cold will bring plenty of sunshine to the region. The one exception will be on Thursday when a passing low in the United States spreads some cloud across the region. The cold air over southern Manitoba should keep any snow south of the border, though. The sun will return on Friday.

Long Range Outlook

Fortunately, the batter cold won’t likely stick around for very long. By the weekend, a series of potent low pressure systems moving through the Atlantic will help dislodge the Polar Vortex and pull it eastwards. This will allow a more westerly flow to develop over the Prairies and bring warmer weather back to the region.

This will bring mixed skies to the region as temperatures gradually warm with near-seasonal temperatures back in the region by Sunday.

Next week will bring variable cloudiness to the city with a couple chances of some light snow and mild temperatures.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -7 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -17 °C.

Cold Week Ahead for Winnipeg

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It will be a cold week ahead in the city as the Polar Vortex continues to supply the region with Arctic air.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Thursday February 2, 2023
One last surge of bitter cold will spread across the Prairies for Thursday before this outbreak of Arctic air begins to weaken.

The Polar Vortex will remain entrenched over Canada’s eastern Arctic region this week, sustaining a persist northwesterly flow across the Prairies. This will keep temperatures well below seasonal averages through the rest of the week.

Daytime highs will vary through the week, ranging from a few degrees on the warm side of -20 °C on Wednesday to a much colder high near -25 °C on Thursday. Overnight lows will generally sit in the -25 to -30 °C range, though lows could reach into the -30s tonight.

The slightly warmer weather on Wednesday will be courtesy a weak disturbance moving through the region. It will bring cloud cover and a bit of light snow to the region as it moves through. The bigger impact it will bring to the region will be a strong cold front that sweeps through on Wednesday night. It will bring moderate northerly winds to the region, some blowing snow, and plummeting temperatures.

That cold air mass that moves in behind is what will keep the daytime highs so low on Thursday. Temperatures will likely dip back below -30 °C on Thursday night again.

On Friday, cloudier skies will move into the region as a slow pattern change begins to take shape. Temperatures will likely climb back into the -15 to -20 °C range, but a stiff southerly wind will make it feel pretty cold outside.

Long Range Outlook

I mentioned last week that it looked like the polar vortex would begin to destabilize heading into this weekend. Fortunately, that still looks to be the case; by the end of the week, its structure looks to become far more wobbly and will likely be pulled northwards back towards the pole by the end of the weekend.

As a result, we’ll likely see the worst of the cold leave the region this weekend, leaving behind closer to seasonal temperatures across much of the Prairies. There may be a bit of light snow through this process, but at this time no significant snowfalls are in the forecast.

Layer up and stay warm this week; relief is on the horizon!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -22 °C.

Here Comes the Deep Freeze

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A surge of bitterly cold Arctic air will send temperatures plummeting across southern Manitoba this weekend. The upside is that the cold weather may not last too long…

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Friday January 27, 2023RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Saturday January 28, 2023
Moderate northerly winds will help a pool of bitterly cold Arctic air surge southwards today. Lows may reach as cold as -30 to -35 °C on Saturday morning.

Much colder weather is on the way to Southern Manitoba in the wake of the snow that moved through yesterday evening. The clipper system that brought a coating of snow to the region was the harbinger ahead of an Arctic air mass dropping southwards into the Prairies. Its approach today will be marked by moderate to strong northerly winds near 40 gusting 60 km/h and gradually cooling temperatures.

The moderate winds, temperatures in the -10 to -15 °C range, and very fluffy snow from yesterday will combine to produce widespread blowing snow through the Red River Valley today. Conditions in Winnipeg will fare better, but even parts of the Perimeter Highway may see deteriorating travel conditions at times today.

Temperatures will continue drop tonight as an Arctic ridge builds into the Prairies. Lows will drop all the way to around -30 °C with mainly clear skies and easing winds.

Saturday will bring sunny skies to the region with a high climbing just short of -20 °C. Winds will stay light through the day. Some cloud cover will build into the region on Saturday night as an upper trough slumps into the area. This will help keep overnight lows a tad warmer, but some of that effect will be offset by a surge of colder air heading into the region as well. The overnight low on Saturday night will likely end up somewhere in the -25 to -30 °C range.

Winnipeg will likely see partly cloudy skies on Sunday with a high a degree or two cooler than Saturday. Skies will clear out for Sunday night and allow overnight lows to likely dip into the -30 to -35 °C range.

Extreme cold warnings are likely at some point over the coming days as the overnight low temperatures will make it fairly trivial to reach -40 wind chill values.

Long Range Outlook

The first half of next week will continue to be cold with daytime highs near -20 °C or colder with mainly sunny conditions. Heading into the second half of the week, though, there may be some improvement.

Long-range weather models all show the driving feature for this cold snap — the Polar Vortex situated over Canada’s Eastern Arctic — weakening towards the end of the week. If that happens, then temperatures would likely moderate with highs into the mid-minus teens by the end of the week. One can hope at least.

Get the long johns and snow pants out, here comes winter!

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -12 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -23 °C.

Colder Weather Settles Over Southern Manitoba

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An Arctic high building into the Prairies will bring seasonably cold temperatures and a bit more sunshine to southern Manitoba.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Tuesday December 20, 2022
Cold temperatures will sit entrenched across the Prairies this week.

Colder temperatures are the story this week as a lobe of the polar vortex slumps into the northern Prairies. It will bring with it a persistent northerly flow that will build an Arctic ridge across the Prairies through the week.

Disturbances grazing by the region will bring a mix of sun and cloud to the region this week, but temperatures will be uniformly cold. Daytime highs in Winnipeg will sit near the -20 °C mark through the rest of the week with overnight lows generally in the -25 to -30 °C range.  

With such cold overnight lows, its possible that the region will see extreme cold warnings at times this week for wind chill values dipping to the -40 mark.

No significant snow will fall across the region this week, but a weak disturbance passing by to the south will spread some snow across the region on Wednesday. Accumulations will be minimal with just a centimetre or two possible by the time it tapers off overnight.

Long Range Outlook

Cold conditions will continue into the Christmas weekend, but by Sunday the worst should begin to break. Heading into next week, warmer weather will move into the region along with some more light snow. 

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -21 °C.