Tag: Blowing Snow

Warming up in Winnipeg, but Colder Temperatures Lurk Nearby

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Temperatures are warming up in Winnipeg, but a battle between warm and cold air is setting up over the province.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 06Z Saturday January 25, 2025
A cold front will sweep through southern Manitoba on Friday night, bringing gusty northwest winds and some blowing snow.

To end the work week, a warm front will push through the Winnipeg area this morning. This front will bring a couple centimetres of light snow and moderate southerly winds as it pushes through. The snow will ease midday behind the front with winds shifting to the west. Temperatures will climb to a high near -2 °C this afternoon.

More snow will move into the region this evening, driven by a cold front following the warm front through the province. Another couple centimetres of snow will fall along with northwest winds up to 40 gusting 60 km/h. These winds will send temperatures back down into the mid-minus teens tonight and bring some blowing snow to the region.

Saturday will bring cooler, near-seasonal temperatures back to the region with a high just under -10 °C. Northwest winds will continue through the day at around 30 gusting 50 km/h, then ease off in the evening. A few flurries will be possible in the morning, then skies will clear. Another warm front will push into the region overnight, warming temperatures from a low in the mid-minus teens up to around -10 °C by Sunday morning.

On Sunday, a southwesterly breeze will bring mixed skies as temperatures climb into the -5 to 0 °C range. Temperatures will continue to warm towards the freezing mark on Sunday night as westerly winds of 20 to 30 km/h continue.

Long Range Outlook

Heading into next week, long-range forecasts show mild conditions for Winnipeg with daytime highs regularly near the freezing mark. There’s some uncertainty, though, as to whether the warmth will be able to stay in place over the region.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Monday January 27, 2025
A sharp temperature gradient will set up over Manitoba next week, with above-freezing highs and the south and Arctic cold in the north.

The Polar Vortex is forecast to dip southeast into eastern Canada, and a strong temperature gradient will likely set up across Manitoba as a result. Daytime highs could reach above freezing over parts of southern Manitoba while temperatures into the -20s and -30s will be possible over northern Manitoba. With such a strong temperature gradient in place over the province, minor changes in front location could result in large swings in expected temperatures.

It will likely be a mild week next week, but minor features could also result in brief outbreaks of rather cold temperatures later in the week.

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

Bitter Cold Slowly Loosens Its Grip on Southern Manitoba

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Brisk southerly winds will move through southern Manitoba today as the bitter cold eases across the region.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 15Z Tuesday January 21, 2025
Moderate southerly winds will develop in the cold temperatures over the Red River Valley this morning.

It’s a cold start to the day, but a low pressure system dropping into the region from northern Saskatchewan is slowly dragging some milder temperatures back towards the region. It will push a warm front towards the region this morning, bringing light snow to the Red River Valley alongside strengthening southerly winds.

Those winds will climb to 40 gusting 60 km/h hour this morning. Combined with the falling snow, the recent cold, and the ice crystals that fell across the region over the weekend, it’s likely that we’ll see widespread blowing snow through the Red River Valley with some near-blizzard conditions possible on area highways running west-east.

Those southerly winds will keep wind chill values locked into the -30s despite the temperature warming into the -20 to -15 °C range.

As the low moves into southern Manitoba this afternoon, the winds will ease as the light snow mostly pushes out of the region. Some lingering flurries will be possible into the evening as temperatures reach as high as around -15 °C.

The low will exit the region overnight, bringing northerly winds back that usher in another push of Arctic air. Temperatures will dip close to -20 °C on Tuesday night under clearing skies. Temperatures will only recover a few degrees on Wednesday with breezy northwest winds around 30 gusting 50 km/h. Some local blowing snow is likely in the areas surrounding Winnipeg and skies should be partly cloudy to mixed.

Temperatures will head back into the -30 to -25 °C range on Wednesday night, but easing winds should keep wind chill values to the mid-minus 30s or so.

Thursday will be a cool day with temperatures returning to a high in the low minus teens under sunny skies.

Long Range Outlook

On Friday, a low pressure system moving through the southern Arctic will push a much broader swath of milder temperatures across the Prairies. For Winnipeg, this will mean temperatures won’t drop much on Thursday night as southerly winds up to 30 gusting 50 km/h redevelop through the Red River Valley.

On Friday, more cloud and light snow will move through the region as temperatures warm back up into the low minus single digits.

The weekend should bring pleasant winter weather with near-seasonal temperatures across the Red River Valley with a couple chances of light snow.

Looking ahead to the longer-range trends, it looks like January should wrap up trending on the milder side, though early February could bring another outbreak of bitterly cold air. There are no major snowfall events in the short or medium-range outlook for the region.

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

Mild Tuesday Snow Gives Way to Cold, Wind, and Blowing Snow

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A low pressure system moving through southern Manitoba will bring snow and mild temperatures to the Red River Valley. In its wake, colder temperatures and strong winds will surge into the region.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 15Z Wednesday December 4, 2024
Strong winds will develop across the Red River Valley late Tuesday into Wednesday, likely producing widespread blowing snow across the region.

Apologies for the late forecast, life has been busy!

Snow spread across much of southern Manitoba this morning as a low pressure system pushed a warm front into the region. A burst of moderate to heavy snow has moved through the region this morning, and now milder temperatures will spread across the region with daytime highs of -5 to 0 °C across southern Manitoba. As the warm air moves in, stiff southerly winds will shift to lighter westerlies.

A cold front will sweep through later today, ushering in some light snow and a major shift in the weather. Temperatures will plummet into the minus teens tonight as northwesterly winds strengthen into the 40 to 50 km/h range with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. It’s likely that lake-effect snow will develop off the lee of Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg, producing a band of flurries that could last well into Wednesday.

The colder temperatures, new snow, and strong winds will likely produce widespread blowing snow across the region, though limited snowpack inside of Winnipeg could reduce the overall amount of blowing snow within city limits. Of particular concern will be the Trans-Canada Highway corridor between Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie where strong winds, existing snow, and lake-effect snow could combine to produce white out conditions and potential highway closures heading through Wednesday.

With those strong northwest winds, temperatures will only recover a couple degrees on Wednesday before dropping down to a low in the -20 to -25 °C range on Wednesday night. Wind chilled values will likely hover in the -25 to -30 range all day then closer to -30 overnight as the wind dies off.

A ridge of high pressure over the province on Thursday should bring partly cloudy skies to the region, light winds, and highs in the mid-minus teens.

Long Range Outlook

Another notable pattern shift will occur late this week as a strong low pressure system is forecast to track across the southern Arctic. This system will send warmer air sweeping across the Prairies, sending daytime highs back towards the 0 °C mark on the Weekend. More snow looks possible eon Sunday as a cold front pushes through the region, then it looks like a return to near-seasonal conditions for much of next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -7 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -16 °C.

Temperatures Return to Seasonal Values in Winnipeg

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The recent cold snap is coming to an end as temperatures moderate back towards seasonal values, but with that will come plenty of cloud.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 00Z Sunday January 21, 2023
Moderate southerly return flow winds will develop over the Red River Valley on Saturday.

Heading into the end of the week, the last remnants of the Polar Vortex that have been lingering over Manitoba will finally shuffle off to the east. This will ease the cold over the region and allow temperatures to recover towards seasonal values. As the weekend progresses, a warm front will push off the Alberta Foothills into southern Saskatchewan while the Arctic front re-strengthens in the north and drops into the northern Prairies.

In Winnipeg, Friday will bring conditions on the cloudier side with a high in the mid-teens today. Like the past couple days, there’s a chance the cloud could be accompanied by light snow. The last of the cold air from the Polar Vortex will linger over the province tonight and keep overnight lows down tonight. The cloud cover will likely break up overnight and allow temperatures to dip into the -30 to -25 °C range.

More cloud will push into the region on Saturday as the warm front creeps across southern Saskatchewan. The return flow from a departing high will intensify over the Red River Valley, strengthening southerly winds up to the 40 to 50 km/h range through the day. Highs will climb back to around -15 °C, but wind chill values will be notable making it feel closer to -25. In addition to the chill, those southerly winds will likely produce areas of blowing snow through the Red River Valley; any blowing snow would likely be at its worst from the early afternoon to the evening.

Those winds will begin to ease on Saturday evening as the warmer air finally reaches the valley. Light snow will likely move through overnight with temperatures staying steady in the mid-minus teens.

Winds will continue to ease on Sunday with cloudy conditions across the Red River Valley. Highs will creep upwards again, likely reaching around -10 °C in Winnipeg and area. More light snow is possible on Sunday night with temperatures dipping back towards -15 °C.

Long Range Outlook

There is disagreement between weather models on how next week will turn out. Canadian weather models are pushing Arctic air further south and giving Winnipeg highs in the -15 to -5 °C range through the first half of the week, while other models bring highs of -10 to 0 °C into the region next week.

Either way, plenty of cloud cover will come along with that milder pattern. The warmer weather will likely stick around to the end of the week.

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