And it’s not changing any time soon.

Spring will be decidedly absent in Winnipeg this week as a persistent northwesterly flow aloft over the eastern Prairies continues to usher cold Arctic air southwards. This is all due to a persistent vortex over Hudson Bay that refuses to budge and will remain in the area for the coming 7 days.

Winnipeg will see daytime highs ranging from -10 to -4°C over the next several days, over 10°C below seasonal for this time of year. Overnight lows will be very cold tonight, dipping all the way down to -22°C thanks to the Arctic front which dropped southwards overnight. A weak warm front moving through on Tuesday¹ will bring milder, but still well below-seasonal, overnight lows near -15°C for Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Skies will start out mainly sunny today, with a few more clouds moving in on Tuesday and skies becoming mixed on Wednesday.

Winds will be breezy out of the north today at 20 to 30 km/h, then taper off for the night. Winds will be a bit lighter on Tuesday out of the northwest at around 20 km/h, but then strengthen to westerly 30 gusting 50 km/h on Wednesday.

Long Range Outlook

A very gradual warming trend will continue through the remainder of the week, but temperatures are still expected to remain below-normal into next week. Daytime highs should climb back above 0°C this weekend, but will come at the cost of increasing cloud cover and a chance for rain or snow as a low pressure system moves through in the latter half of the weekend into the start of next week.

Booooo!

Winnipeg’s seasonal daytime high is currently 6°C while the seasonal overnight low is -5°C.

1. Or rather, more like the Arctic air leaving the region. ↩

Benign conditions will continue over the next few days as an upper-level ridge continues to bring seasonable temperatures to Winnipeg. Cloud will begin moving in by the end of the weekend, though, as an upper-level low starts working into the region.

Today and tomorrow will both bring a fair amount of sunshine to Winnipeg with high temperatures near close to 0°C. An area of high pressure slowly slumping southwards will give light southerly winds both days. By Saturday afternoon, some cloud cover will begin spreading into the Red River Valley, becoming cloudy for Saturday night. This blanket of cloud will result in warmer overnight lows, bringing Friday’s expected -13°C up to around -8°C.

Sunday will bring mainly cloudy skies to Winnipeg as a large upper low complex lifts northeastwards into the province. Daytime highs will continue to sit near 0°C, but the lack of sun and northerly winds near 20 km/h will make it feel cooler. Just a slight chance of flurries will accompany the cloud. Temperatures will dip to around -6°C on Sunday night with an increasing chance of flurries.

Long Range Outlook

The beginning of next week looks a bit more unsettled as a series of upper disturbances moves through. Winnipeg and the Red River Valley will likely see snow on Monday with possible amounts of 2 to 5 cm. Some light snow may persist into Tuesday, but then clearing should work back into the region mid-week. Daytime highs are forecast to hover near the 0°C mark through the first half of the week. For those looking for warmer weather, there are some indications that milder conditions with above-zero temperatures may move in through the second half of the week!

So until then, enjoy the cooler but generally pleasant weather ahead!

Winnipeg’s seasonal daytime high is currently -1°C while the seasonal overnight low is -11°C.