Seasonably Cool Wednesday Turns Unsettled For Thursday

A mix of rain and snow will move through Winnipeg on Thursday, marking the start of an unsettled warm-up for the weekend.

Today will be a sunny but cool day in Winnipeg as a ridge of high pressure moves through. With light winds, temperatures will climb to a high near +1°C. Skies will stay mostly clear tonight with temperatures dropping to a low near -6°C.

Weather returns to the region on Thursday as a warm front moves through ahead of a low pressure system in Saskatchewan. Skies will cloud over early in the day with southerly winds increasing to 40 gusting 60 km/h. By mid- to late-afternoon, a wintery mix of precipitation will work its way across the Red River Valley. The rain/snow will exit the region early in the evening, leaving behind light winds, cloudy skies, and a chance of drizzle. Winnipeg will see a low near 0°C on Thursday night.

Much of southern Manitoba will see some amount of a sloppy wintery mix of precipitation on Thursday.
Much of southern Manitoba will see some amount of a sloppy wintery mix of precipitation on Thursday.

Skies will start off cloudy on Friday morning with a continued chance of drizzle, then a weak cold front will push through the region. Skies should begin to clear in the afternoon with temperatures reaching a high near 6°C. The reprieve will be short-lived, though as more cloud pushes in overnight ahead of the next disturbance. Temperatures should dip to around -3°C on Friday night.

Long Range Outlook

Winnipeg’s weekend looks mild thanks to a southwesterly flow developing aloft. Unfortunately, that also means rather unsettled conditions with a fair amount of cloud and a couple chances for precipitation. Temperatures will climb into the teens, though, with overnight lows likely remaining above zero. It appears that conditions will gradually settle next week with a return towards seasonal temperatures.

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

Increasing Cloudiness Brings Unsettled Conditions to Winnipeg

Winnipeg will see increasing cloudiness today as it spreads northwards out of the Dakotas. The cloud will continue through the remainder of the week with several chances for wet weather.

A sunny start in Winnipeg today will develop into partly cloudy to mixed skies through the day as a warmer air mass pushes in from the southwest. Fortunately, despite any cloud the temperatures will still climb to an above-seasonal high near 10°C! Winds won’t be too much of a bother, increasing out of the south-southwest into the 20 to 30 km/h range. Winnipeg will continue to see mixed skies tonight with overcast skies developing early Thursday morning. Temperatures should dip to a low near +3°C.

Winnipeg may see some organized light rain on Friday morning, however model confidence in the location of the rain is low.
Winnipeg may see some organized light rain on Friday morning, however model confidence in the location of the rain is low.

Thursday and Friday will bring cloudy skies to Winnipeg as several weak upper-level disturbances move through the region. There will be a persistent, background chance for some drizzle or light showers through the region on Thursday and Friday, but the best chance for organized rain showers is on Friday morning. Temperatures will remain near-seasonal with a high of around 9°C on Thursday and near 7°C on Friday. Winds won’t be an issue either day, with light easterlies expected through the period. Temperatures will dip down to around +4°C on Thursday night and near +2°C on Friday night.

Long Range Outlook

Cloudy conditions will persist through Saturday and into Sunday with more chances for some light rain shower activity. Winnipeg may see some sunshine mixed in through the day on Sunday, however the overall trend is for mixed to cloudy conditions to continue right into next week. No major rain systems are on the horizon, but the occasional chance of light showers is forecast to return here and there over the next week.

Overall signals are weak at the moment, but it appears that there is a chance of cooler weather moving in the middle of next week with a return to highs in the low single digits.

Winnipeg’s seasonal daytime high is currently 7°C while the seasonal overnight low is -3°C.

Cooler With A Chance of Showers to End the Work Week

After record-setting heat yesterday, a change is in the weather as unsettled conditions today lead to cooler temperatures for the weekend.

Winnipeg’s sunny skies of yesterday will be replaced by mixed to mostly cloudy skies today. A cold front passed through the region overnight, ushering in northwesterly winds for today that will keep conditions much cooler than yesterday. With breezy northwesterly winds near 30 gusting 50 km/h, Winnipeg should see a high near 8°C today.

A second cold front will sweep through the region late in the day as Arctic air surges southwards behind the low pressure system that brought the mild temperatures to the region yesterday. As the front pushes through, it will bring a chance of showers to the Red River Valley for the late afternoon into the evening. Cooler temperatures will continue to spill southwards through the night as the northwesterly winds continue. There will be a chance for flurries in the lee of the Manitoba Lakes right through the overnight period. Winnipeg will see a low near -3°C under mixed skies.

3km NAM Simulated RADAR Reflectivity with Type valid 00Z Saturday October 20, 2018
Scattered showers will spread across portions of southern Manitoba as a cold front slumps through late Friday afternoon.

Saturday will be a very cool day as an Arctic high moves across the region. Winds will diminish through the morning as temperatures climb towards a high of just +3°C. Skies should be partly cloudy with more organized bands of stratus coming off of the lakes to both the west and east of Winnipeg. Heading into the night, more cloud will move into the region as a warm front pushes across the province. Winnipeg will see a low near -1°C with southerly winds near 20 km/h.

Sunday should bring mainly sunny skies to Winnipeg as the cloud pushes off to the east. With the warm front through, the city should see a more seasonable high of around 10°C with light winds. It’s looking like Sunday will actually be quite a pleasant fall day! Temperatures will head to a low near +1°C on Sunday night with light westerly winds.

Long Range Outlook

Next week looks set to bring closer to seasonal conditions. Daytime highs in the mid- to upper single digits are forecast alongside variably cloudy skies. It also appears that it will remain dry with no notable precipitation in the forecast.

Winnipeg’s seasonal daytime high is currently 9°C while the seasonal overnight low is -1°C.

More Cloudy and Cool Weather Ahead

It’s more of the same for Winnipeg as temperatures remain below seasonal under mostly cloudy skies.

Winnipeg will see cool, cloudy conditions over the next few days as the city remains caught between a large Arctic ridge to the northwest and a developing Colorado Low to the south. Today Winnipeg will see a high near 6°C under mostly cloudy skies. There’s a slight chance of drizzle or light rain over Winnipeg and the Red River Valley, particularly this morning and then later in the day.

Winds will be light out of the north at 10 to 20 km/h. Temperatures will head to a low near +2°C tonight. Tomorrow will bring more cloud to the region and a high near 5°C. Winds will begin picking up, though, out of the north to around 30 km/h. Skies remain cloudy Tuesday night as temperatures head to a low near 0°C.

Winnipeg will see a chance of light rain or drizzle today, but organized rain will be passing by to the south and east.
Winnipeg will see a chance of light rain or drizzle today, but organized rain will be passing by to the south and east.

Wednesday will bring the chance for rain or snow back to the region as an inverted trough extending from a Colorado Low over Wisconsin pushes into the region. There’s a lot of uncertainty associated with this right now due to a variety of unknowns. Perhaps on of the biggest contributors of uncertainty is an Arctic high parked over northern Manitoba as the system approaches.

The northerly winds in place over the southern half of the province will be tapping into the very dry air from the high over the northern half. This dry air will slide underneath the precipitation as it tries to push northwards out of the Dakotas. Exactly how significantly this dry air will impact the precipitation as it tries to push northwards is unknown; often it can reduce or eliminate the precipitation by evaporating it before it reaches the ground. That said, if there is enough support, Winnipeg may see some snow or rain on Wednesday at some point.

With a northerly breeze at 20 to 30 km/h tapping into that Arctic high, temperatures will be cool. Winnipeg will see a high near +2°C and a low overnight near -3°C.

Long Range Outlook

Winnipeg may see some sun in the second half of the work week, but cool temperatures will remain. The chance for rain or snow will return on Saturday, but by the start of next week, a large-scale pattern change begins! Temperatures are forecast to gradually increase back into the upper single digits by the middle of next week. By next weekend, Winnipeg may actually see a return to seasonal temperatures!

Winnipeg’s seasonal daytime high is currently 13°C while the seasonal overnight low is +2°C.