Cool Weekend With More Snow Ahead

Another Alberta Clipper is set to bring 5–10 cm of snow to the Red River Valley this weekend as seasonably cool temperatures continue.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Friday February 4, 2022
It will be another cold day in southern Manitoba on Friday with highs struggling into the -20 to -25 °C range.

Southern Manitoba will see cold temperatures today as another Arctic high slumps through the region. Daytime highs will sit in the -20 to -25 range this afternoon as northerly winds taper off. Winnipeg will see plenty of sunshine through much of the day.

The next system to impact the region will be an Alberta clipper that develops over Alberta today and dives southeastwards to North Dakota tonight. This system will push a warm front eastwards, spreading cloud cover across southern Manitoba this evening. This system will spread snow into Manitoba overnight as southerly winds pick up to 30 gusting 50 km/h. Temperatures will rise into the -15 to -20 °C range by Saturday morning.

The snow will persist through Saturday morning in the Red River Valley. A bit of blowing snow is possible through the morning hours, but will come to an end as the winds ease by midday. The snow will taper off in the afternoon with a few lingering flurries possible. Note that this system won’t be anywhere near as strong as the last clipper that brought widespread blizzard conditions throughout the region.

RDPS 24hr. Snowfall Accumulation (Kuchera SLR) valid 00Z Sunday February 6, 2022
Southern Manitoba will see more snow on Saturday with around 10 cm likely over the Red River Valley.

Total snow accumulation through the Red River Valley will likely end up close to 10 cm by the time it tapers off.

Temperatures will be a bit milder on Saturday with a high near -14 °C. Northerly winds of 20–30 km/h will move in behind the system on Saturday afternoon and help send temperatures back to a low in the -20 to -25 °C range on Saturday night.

Skies will clear on Sunday as another high moves through the region. Temperatures will climb back to a high in the -15 to -20 °C range.

Long Range Outlook

A potent low pressure system will track across the southern Arctic beginning Sunday night, spreading a much milder air mass across the Prairies as it goes. Temperatures in Winnipeg will rise into the mid-minus teens on Sunday night as moderate southerly winds develop and cloudier skies move in. A bit of light snow is also possible.

Southerly winds will ease a bit on Monday as temperatures soar into the -5 to 0 °C range. Mild weather will continue into Tuesday with highs possibly climbing a degree or two above freezing! A cold front will sweep through the region later in the day, bringing some cooler weather back.

Temperatures will trend back towards seasonal values for the rest of next week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -10 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -21 °C.

Pleasant Seasonal Conditions Ahead

Southern Manitoba will finally see a break from the cold with several days of near-seasonal temperatures ahead.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Sunday January 30, 2022
A series of low pressure systems will bring progressively warmer conditions to Winnipeg over the next few days.

A series of weak low pressure systems will move through southern Manitoba over the next few days. They will gradually push warmer air into southern Mantioba, alongside some cloudier conditions and occasional snow.

Southern Manitoba will see increasing cloud on Friday night with temperatures warming up close to 10 °C for Saturday. The low moving through the province tomorrow will bring some light snow to the province, but it will mainly move from northern Manitoba to east of Lake Winnipeg. The Red River Valley should just see mainly cloudy skies. Southerly winds tonight will turn northwesterly on Saturday up to around 30 gusting 50 km/h.

Some clearing will move across the region on Saturday night as the low exits the region. This will allow temperatures to head back to a low near the -20 °C mark.

RDPS 24hr. Accumulated Snowfall Forecast (10:1 SLR) valid 00Z February 1, 2022
While snow is possible through the weekend, a stronger low pressure system on Monday will bring the most organized snow to southern Manitoba.

The next low will follow hot on the heels of Saturday’s, spreading more cloud into the region on Sunday morning. This system will a couple centimetres of snow to the region as highs climb into the -5 to -10 °C range. It will be a bit breezy in the Red River Valley with southerly winds near 30 km/h. The snow will clear out for Sunday night, but temperatures will stay steady as a stronger low pressure system moves towards the region from Saskatchewan.

Long Range Outlook

Monday’s low will bring even warmer conditions to Winnipeg on Monday with highs climbing into the 0 to -5 °C range. This system will bring a more intense are of snow to the province on Monday. Beginning over the Parkland region and drifting east-southeast, as much as 10 cm of snow will fall with this system. The Red River Valley will likely sit on the southern flank of the area of snow with 2–5 cm possible.

This system will push a strong cold front through the region on Monday evening, bringing strong northwesterly winds and colder temperatures. Blowing snow could be a concern on Monday night.

The region will plummet back into a period of seasonably cold conditions with daytime highs falling back into the -20 to -25 °C range and overnight lows dipping back towards the -30 °C mark. Some improvement could be seen by the following weekend.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11 °C while the seasonal overnight low is -22 °C.

Windy Warm-Up Brings More Snow

Winnipeg will see a blustery return to warmer weather today as more snow moves into the region.

A low pressure system moving towards the region has brought strong southerly winds to the Red River Valley this morning. Like on Tuesday, the blowing snow will hamper visibilities on area highways this morning. Fortunately, the winds will ease through the morning and bring an end to the blowing snow.

RDPS 24hr. Snowfall Accumulation (10:1 SLR) Forecast valid 06Z Saturday January 22, 2022
Much of southern Manitoba will see close to 5 cm of snow on Sunday, but some higher amounts could fall near the terrain over the Parkland into the western Red River Valley.

A frontal wave slumping through the province this morning will bring more snow to the region as well. Snow should begin early this morning with close to 5 cm of accumulation by the time it tapers off in the afternoon. A strong cold front will sweep through the region in the afternoon ushering in strong northwest winds with a few flurries. These northwesterly winds will bring some more blowing snow to the Red River Valley through Friday evening.

The frontal wave moving through the province today will bring mild temperatures to the Red River Valley. Winnipeg should see a high this afternoon near -5 °C. That warmth will be short-lived, though, as another Arctic air mass slumps in behind the cold front. Temperatures will head down to the -20 to -25 °C range tonight.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Sunday January 23, 2022
Very cold temperatures will be in place over southern Manitoba on Sunday morning. Note the strong warm front over Saskatchewan behind which temperatures rise above the freezing mark.

Behind this system, Winnipeg will see cooler conditions for the weekend, but not quite as bad as some of the other cold snaps lately. Highs this weekend will be in the -15 to -20 °C range both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night will be quite cold with lows possibly dipping back below -30 °C again.

More cloud will move into the region on Sunday as a warm front pushes in from the west. Some light snow is possible in the afternoon, but it won’t be much more than a dusting. With the cloud cover and the nearby warm front, temperatures will be a bit warmer on Sunday night with a low in the -20 to -25 °C range.

Long Range Outlook

Next week will start off with colder temperatures again as another Arctic high slumps through the Prairies. Monday and Tuesday will bring daytime highs of -20 to -25 °C and and lows in the again dipping close to -30 °C.

The good news, though, is that the Polar Vortex is forecast to collapse northwards from the Baffin Island region. Its movement back toward the pole will bring a broader pattern change to Prairies. The Arctic air will be locked up further north, allowing Pacific air to spread over the region. Winnipeg will see temperatures climb to seasonably mild values for the second half of next week. The city will see highs generally in the -5 to -10 °C range.

There will likely be a fair amount of cloud around and frequent chances for some light snow, but perhaps that’s a small price to pay for some more prolonged relief from the cold.

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

Alberta Clipper Brings Winter Storm And Bitter Cold

An Alberta clipper is bringing heavy snow to the province, but the worst conditions will arrive upon its exit. Blizzard conditions will develop Tuesday afternoon, followed by bitterly cold temperatures mid-week.

RDPS 24hr. Snow Accumulation Forecast (10:1 SLR) valid 00Z Wednesday January 19, 2022
Heavy snow will taper off over the Red RIver Valley this morning with a widespread 10–15 cm storm-total accumulation.

The heavy snow has arrived in the Red River Valley and will continue until around midday. The heaviest snow will exit to the east with the clipper itself, but a few flurries will continue through the day. Conditions will continue to deteriorate behind the low as northerly winds increasing to 50 gusting 70 km/h.

Widespread blowing snow will develop on Tuesday afternoon from the Parkland region into the Red River Valley. The worst visibilities will occur in the Red River Valley Tuesday evening through the night. Ample quantities of fresh snow combined with howling northwesterly winds and falling temperatures will produce [near-]blizzard conditions. It will be a unpleasant and dangerous night out in the open.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 21Z Tuesday January 18, 2022
Strong northwest winds will likely produce blizzard conditions through the Red River Valley beginning on Tuesday afternoon.

Temperatures will reach a high in the -5 to -10 °C range early Tuesday, then fall through the rest of the day. The region will see lows into the -20 to -25 °C range by Wednesday morning.

The winds will begin to ease Wednesday morning, bringing an end to the blowing snow. It will be cold on Wednesday with temperatures barely recovering a few degrees from the overnight low as skies clear. Temperatures will plummet down below -30 °C on Wednesday night. Extreme cold warnings are likely across much of southern Manitoba on Wednesday night as wind chill values of -40 to -45 will be widespread.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 12Z Thursday January 20, 2022
Bitterly cold temperatures will return to southern Manitoba on Wednesday night with lows dipping below the -30 °C mark.

Thursday will also be cold with highs in the -20 to -25 °C range and light southerly winds. A warm front pushing across the Prairies will bring cloud to the region on Thursday night with temperatures rising close to -10 °C by Friday morning. That warmer weather won’t come without a cost, though. As it moves into the region on Thursday night, southerly winds will strengthen into the 40–50 km/h range.

Long Range Outlook

The winds will ease on Friday with a high in the -5 to -10 °C range. Some snow will move through southern Manitoba — perhaps close to 5 cm — followed by a cold front later in the day. Northwest winds near 30 gusting 50 km/h will move in behind the front, sending lows back into the -20 to -25 °C range overnight.

The weekend will bring seasonably cool conditions with highs in the -15 to 20 °C range and overnight lows near the -20 to -25 °C range. Saturday should bring sunshine, but some flurries may be possible on Sunday as another disturbance brushes by the region.

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