A long-awaited warm-up will finally arrive in the Red River Valley this weekend!

A series of Pacific lows crossing western Canada will shunt Arctic air eastwards and push milder temperatures across the Prairies over the next few days. The first is beginning its eastward trek across the southern Northwest Territories today. While that will mean warmer weather for the western Prairies, southern Manitoba will stay under the influence of a weak Arctic ridge. It will keep highs to around -13 °C in Winnipeg with sunny skies and light southerly winds.

Temperatures in Winnipeg will dip to a low near -18 °C tonight with a few clouds moving in. Southerly winds will increase into the 20–30 km/h range by Saturday morning.

On Saturday, the Arctic low will push from Nunavut into Hudson Bay and drag a warm front eastwards across Manitoba. Brisk southerly winds of 30–40 km/h will persist Saturday morning and then gradually ease in the afternoon. Skies will cloud over as the warm front moves in and while some flurries are possible, the dry southerly wind should keep the snow out of the Red River Valley. Temperatures will climb to a high near -7 °C in Winnipeg.

The city will see mixed skies on Saturday night with a low near -9 °C. The wind will keep up out of the south at 15–25 km/h.

On Sunday, another Pacific low will begin to push eastwards across the Prairies. It will push warmer air eastwards across the Prairies and bring widespread above-freezing temperatures to parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Here in Manitoba, temperatures should climb to around the freezing mark with southerly winds of 20–30 km/h. The city should see plenty of sun, giving a chance that some areas with darker surfaces (less snow, more concrete) might climb above the 0 °C mark.

The winds will keep up on Sunday night with increasing cloud. Temperatures will fall to a low near -7 °C early then gradually climb through the night.

Long Range Outlook

The Pacific low will cross Manitoba on Monday, bringing a wave of mild Pacific air with it. Temperatures will climb above freezing across much of southern Manitoba with brisk westerly winds and mixed skies. The mild weather will continue on Tuesday with temperatures returning to around freezing. The rest of the week will be a bit of a temperature roller coaster, alternating between near-seasonal and below seasonal warmth.

There will also be several chances for a wintery mix of precipitation as a series of impulses slide southeastwards across the Prairies.

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

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.

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.