Arctic Chill Settles In

This weekend will be marked by bitterly cold temperatures as an Arctic high builds into the Prairies, bringing with it the coldest temperatures we’ve seen so far this winter.

Friday

-18°C / -26°C
Mainly cloudy with some scattered flurries.
Saturday

-22°C / -28°C
Gradual clearing through the afternoon.
Sunday

-21°C / -27°C
A mix of sun and cloud with a chance of flurries.

We’ll see mainly cloudy skies today as the remnants of this weeks winter storm still hang back a while longer. Some light flurry activity will likely slump down from the Interlake by midday brining some light, non-accumulating flurries to most of the Red River Valley. There will be a brisk northwesterly wind at around 20–30km/h today which, when coupled with a high of only around –18°C, will make it feel closer to the –25 to –30 range. The clouds will stick around through the night with perhaps a clear break or two and we’ll drop to an overnight low of about –26°C.

Saturday will start off with mainly cloudy skies and we’ll climb to a high of –22°C. Skies will begin to clear through the afternoon and we’ll be left with mainly clear skies for tomorrow night as we dip down to around –28°C for an overnight low. Winds will be relatively light at 15–25km/h out of the west.

Sunday will bring mixed skies as Winnipeg sits between a system tracking through the Northern Plains and another system sliding down into Southern Manitoba from the northwest. We’ll see a chance of some light flurries through the day, but at this point no significant snowfall is expected. Temperatures will top out around –22°C, however the winds will be increasing out of the south as a return flow develops on the back-side of the Arctic high. This will make things feel quite cool with wind chill values dropping down to as low as the –30 to –35 range. It will be a generally unpleasant day. The risk for flurries will continue through Sunday night as temperatures down to around –28°C.

Milder Weather On Tap

A broad trough of low pressure will push eastwards across the Prairies bringing with it milder temperatures and the occasional chance for some more light snow.

Friday

-7°C / -14°C
Mainly cloudy with flurries.
Saturday

-8°C / -12°C
Mixed skies; slight chance of isolated flurries.
Sunday

-8°C / -10°C
Cloudy with a chance of scattered flurries.

We’ll see fairly cloudy skies today alongside an increasingly brisk southerly wind to 30–40km/h as a warm front approaches the Red River Valley from the west. This front will produce an area of 5–10cm of snow through the Interlake and areas west and north, but here in the Red River Valley we’ll see some periods of light snow with no significant accumulations expected. Temperatures will climb to around –7°C as the winds ease up in the afternoon and see gradual clearing through the evening and overnight as the mercury then drops to about –14°C.

Saturday will bring a few remnant clouds in the Red River Valley that will possibly produce some isolated flurries, but it should end up being a mostly sunny day with light winds and a high near –8°C.

Cloud will roll in on Saturday night as a low-pressure system begins working it’s way across North Dakota. The accumulating snow is expected to remain States-side at this point, with just some light snow working it’s way north of the border. Minimal accumulations are expected at this point, although regions close to the U.S. border could possibly see a cm or two of the white stuff if the system tracks just a smidgen further north.

The Start of Next Week

The first half of next week looks to bring some very mild air into Southern Manitoba with temperatures climbing as high as low minus-single-digits on Monday! It will be short-lived, however, as a significant cold trough begins working it’s way into the Prairies and brings below-normal temperatures for the second half of the week.

Remaining Cold

Conditions will remain cold to start the week…and just think we’ve only got another 3-4 months of this weather yet to come!

This Week

Monday

Increasing Cloudiness. Chance of Flurries.
-7°C / -15°C
Tuesday

Mainly Sunny
-13°C / -22°C
Wednesday

Mainly cloudy. Slight Chance of Flurries.
-10°C / -12°C

The weather today won’t offer a very pleasant start to the week. High temperatures will be in the low single digits, with a brisk north-westerly wind, making it feel much colder than it actually is. There may be a few flurries as well – have you heard enough?

Tuesday will remain cold, with temperatures in the minus teens. The wind will be a bit lighter though, which is a bit of consolation.

We should see a southerly flow develop in Southern Manitoba on Wednesday, perhaps allowing temperatures to approach the -10C mark. A weak weather system may also bring some flurries on Wednesday.

Deep Freeze Coming

Well, it had to happen eventually. The first real shot of winter is on it’s way as very cold Arctic air barrels southwards through the Prairies this week. The bright side? It should be relatively short-lived.


RDPS surface temperatures on Thursday morning show temperatures dipping down to -30°C over extreme SW Manitoba on Thursday morning.
RDPS surface temperatures on Thursday morning show temperatures dipping down to –30°C over extreme SW Manitoba on Thursday morning.

Today marks the beginning of the big cool-down for us. A cold front that passed through overnight bringing in northwesterly winds and the leading edge of the cold air. Our temperature will remain fairly steady near about –7°C through the day with mostly sunny skies and a breezy northwesterly wind at 30–50km/h. We’ll see some increasing cloud towards the evening hours which will bring a slight chance of some flurries tonight as a weak disturbance slides through the Dakotas and southeastern Manitoba. Temperatures will dip to around –15 or –16°C tonight as colder air continues to infiltrate southwards.

Wednesday

→ -7°C / -15°C
Cool and breezy. Chance of flurries tonight.
Thursday

-14°C / -19°C
Sunny and cold.
Friday

-14°C / -23°C
Chance of a morning flurry then sunny and cold.

Thursday will bring mainly sunny skies and cold weather as we climb to only around –14°C. The winds will be lighter which will help a little bit. Even more cold air is on it’s way, though. We’ll drop to around –19°C on Thursday night, but some clouds will build into the Red River Valley overnight into Friday morning as another weak disturbance dives southwards through Manitoba, bringing yet more cold air with it. We’ll see a very slight chance of a light flurry or two with the passage of this system, but it will be much more a “cold air bringer” than a snow-maker.

Friday will see mainly sunny skies, save for the possible clouds in the morning, and we’ll see temperatures rebound to around –15°C. Bitterly cold air will begin working it’s way in through the evening hours, though, and we’ll see our temperature drop all the way to –22 or –23°C on Friday night. Winds will be light, but it will likely still be quite easy to hit a –30 wind chill, so be sure to bundle up if you need to be out.

Fortunately, it doesn’t look like the cold weather will be here for long. Warmer air will be pushing eastwards across the Prairies quickly behind this system and we should see temperatures moderate back to the mid-minus-single-digits by the end of the weekend.

Winter Survival

With the first snow under our belt and the first shot of very cold weather on the way, it’s a good time to bring up winter survival. It’s certainly no joke and things that are minor inconveniences in warmer months – such as your car breaking down on the highway – can easily become life or death situations in winter time.

One of the first steps is making sure you have a winter survival kit in your car. They’re very easy to put together (you can also buy them an many retailers including Canadian Tire and CAA Manitoba) and can make the difference between life and death in some winter situations. To make your winter survival kit, find something like a small duffel bag or other bag you can ensure is sealed shut (e.g. snaps or zippers) and put in:

  • Ice scraper and brush
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Booster cables
  • Shovel and tow rope
  • Flares or other signal aids
  • Sand or kitty litter
  • Candles and coffee tin (to
    warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
  • Matches/lighter (in a waterproof bag)
  • Blankets/warm clothing
  • Granola bars, candy, sugar cubes
  • First aid kit
  • Compass
  • Hatchet or axe
  • Cellular phone
  • Methyl hydrate (fuel line de-icing)
  • Traction mats
  • Cloth or roll of paper towels
  • Small fire extinguisher
  • Reflective vest

Not all of these need to be present for a basic winter survival kit; most important are ways to stay warm, visible, fed and safe.

The CAA has an excellent brochure available going over some winter driving tips.

Some useful winter travel links:

Also keep in mind that even if it’s not snowing, strong northerly or southerly winds in the Red River Valley tend to produce significant blowing snow on any west/east running roads and highways. I’ve had more than one trip to Altona that has had a beautiful sunny drive on Highway 75 turn into a dangerous, slow crawl through near-zero visibility after turning west onto Highway 14.

Lastly, one of the biggest dangers cold weather has on you is how it impacts your body. One of the primary things that is affected when your body’s core temperature drops is your ability to make decisions.

The cold remains a mystery, more prone to fell men than women, more lethal to the thin and well muscled than to those with avoirdupois, and least forgiving to the arrogant and the unaware.

Outside magazine did an absolutely excellent article about freezing to death. It’s superbly written and will help you understand what happens as your core body temperature drops. Even if you have an idea, give the article a read because it’s a phenomenal piece of educational writing.

Hopefully you never find yourself in a situation where you actually need to use any of this advice. It never hurts to be prepared, though. Here in Southern Manitoba we live in one of the harshest winter climates out there and all it takes is a few simple measures to make sure you’re ready for it. And, as I always mention, if there’s a significant winter storm and your travel plans are flexible, it’s always wiser to wait it out than push through it.

I hope this little section offers some help and that you can all stay out of the wind, safe and warm.