Tag: Snow

NAM 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Thursday October 31, 2019

Cool Temperatures Continue with Occasional Snow

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Below-seasonal temperatures will persist in Winnipeg through the rest of the work week. Skies will continue to be cloudier than not with a couple chances for some more light snow.

The city will see a mix of sun and cloud today as the upper trough responsible for yesterday’s cloud and flurries rotates off to the east. Temperatures will stay cool with a high near -1°C but winds won’t be too much of a bother at around 15 km/h out of the west. There is a chance of a scattered flurry, but nothing as intense as some of yesterday’s snow. If there are any snowflakes, it’s expected to be very light. Winds will shift to the south tonight as the next system approaches from the northwest. The city should see a low around -8°C with increasing cloud cover.1

Mainly cloudy skies will be in place on Thursday as a warm front pushes into the Red River Valley. Temperatures will climb back above freezing to a high near +3°C, but winds will also pick up out of the south into the 20 to 30 km/h range. The day should stay snow-free, but by late in the afternoon an area of light snow will begin pushing into the region from the northwest. Winds will shift northwesterly on Thursday night with light snow likely through much of the night. Accumulations will be minimal with just 1 to 2 cm in the forecast. Temperatures will dip to a low near -2°C.

Winnipeg will continue to be under a northwesterly flow on Friday with winds of 30 gusting 50 km/h. Fortunately, the passing low pressure system will have kicked out the core of the coldest air, so temperatures won’t be too bad. The city should see a high near +1°C. That said, skies will stay cloudy through the day with scattered flurries possible. There may also be some more lake-effect snow in the lee of the lakes. The winds will gradually ease on Friday night. Skies will be mixed to mostly cloudy through the night with temperatures dipping to a low near -4°C.

Long Range Outlook

Temperatures will rebound close to seasonal values through the weekend with variable to mostly cloudy skies. Some flurry activity will be possible through the weekend, but no significant snowfall is in the forecast.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 4°C while the seasonal overnight low is -4°C.

  1. That number could be a tad warmer if the clouds move in earlier in the night, or a tad colder if they stay away until closer to sunrise. ↩

Arctic Outbreak Brings Clouds & Flurries

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An outbreak of Arctic air across the Prairies will bring seasonably cold temperatures and scattered flurries to Winnipeg.

Winter weather has arrived in Winnipeg, courtesy a potent upper low over the eastern Prairies. This low has altered the upper-level air patterns, sending the jet stream diving into the southern United States. This has allowed colder Arctic air to spread southwards through the Prairies and into the northern United States. The result: a prolonged period of seasonably cold weather for Winnipeg.

A potent upper low over Manitoba has pushed the jet stream into the southern United States.
A potent upper low over Manitoba has pushed the jet stream into the southern United States.

Winnipeg won’t be dealing with record-breaking cold by any stretch, but it will be the first sustained period of chillier winter conditions this season. Temperatures will struggle to reach the freezing mark through the first half of the week with highs generally in the -2 to 0°C range. Overnight lows will largely depend on how much cloud lingers through the overnight periods, but will generally sit near -5°C to star the week and fall close to -10°C mid-week.

Winds will start the day out of the west near 20 km/h and gradually ease to light in the afternoon as a weak low moves into the region. Winds will pick up out of the west-northwest on Tuesday into the 20 to 30 km/h range as the low exits the region. The winds should keep up through the night, then ease to around 15 km/h on Wednesday.

The city will see variable cloudiness over the next few days, although generally speaking skies will be mixed to cloudy with a few sunny periods possible here and there. Today, the clouds should thicken up through the afternoon as the low moves into the region. There will be a good chance of flurries with the cloud cover later today, persisting into the night. Temperature profiles through the night may end up supporting light snow that lasts right through the night. Accumulations would still be low, but there could be a greater impact on visibilities and road conditions.

Skies will stay mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a good chance of flurries through the day. The cloud cover will likely begin to break up a bit on Tuesday night. Winnipeg will see mixed skies on Wednesday, clearing later in the day into the overnight period. The clear skies overnight will lead to the cooler low expected mid-week.

Long Range Outlook

The upper low over the region will weaken and shift northeastwards in the second half of the week. A huge swell of warmth won’t return though; most models continue to keep the region in a strong northwest flow.

This likely means a slight warming trend, although below-seasonal temperatures likely persisting right through the weekend into next week. The northwest flow will also likely bring more disturbances through the region, meaning more cloud cover and chances for snow.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 6°C while the seasonal overnight low is -4°C.

Two Days Of Seasonal Weather, Then A Prolonged Cold Snap

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Winnipeg will see breezy conditions with seasonably mild temperatures today, but a cold front passing through on Saturday will usher in an extended period of markedly cooler weather.

A low pressure system crossing the Prairies will finally bring seasonal temperatures back to southern Manitoba today. With a brisk southerly wind increasing to 30 gusting 50 km/h, temperatures will climb to a high near 11°C. Morning sunshine will give way to mixed skies, but things should stay dry with no precipitation in the forecast. The low will continue to advance towards the province tonight, keeping skies mixed and maintaining the southerly winds. Winnipeg should see a low near 7°C.

The city will still see seasonal temperatures on Saturday, but the day will be much less pleasant as a cold front sweeps through early in the morning. Temperatures will hover near the overnight low of 7°C then begin cooling later in the day. Winds will be breezy out of the west-northwest near 30 gusting 50 km/h and skies will be mostly cloudy. Again, no precipitation is forecast. Skies will stay cloudy on Saturday night with a northwest wind near 20 km/h and a low of -1°C.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Friday October 25, 2019
An approaching low will bring seasonably mild temperatures to Winnipeg today, but a prolonged stretch of cooler conditions will quickly move in behind it.

Sunday will bring cloudy conditions to the city with temperatures remaining steady near 0°C. This will mark the beginning of a prolonged cold snap that will entrench the city in below-normal temperatures for the next week. The northwest winds will gradually ease through the day and into the evening. Some flurries will be possible in the city as the cold air and northwest wind will bring a chance of lake-effect snow off of Lake Manitoba. Temperatures will head to a low near -4°C on Sunday night with mostly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

Unfortunately, a long stretch of cold weather is on the way for Winnipeg. Arctic air will plunge southwards through much of North America through the week as a significant upper-level trough develops.

GDPS 850mb Temperature Anomaly Forecast valid 00Z Tuesday October 29, 2019
Temperatures will stay well below-seasonal next week for much of the western portions of Canada and the United States.

The result will be a week of variable cloudiness, temperatures struggling to reach 0°C, and several chances of accumulating snow.

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

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 21Z Thursday October 24, 2019

Cool With An End-of-Week Warm Up

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Winnipeg’s cool weather will stay for a couple more days, then warmer weather arrives for the end of the week.

A couple cool days are coming up for Winnipeg as an Arctic air mass remains entrenched over the region. The city will see a high of only 3°C today as northwest winds of 30 gusting 50 km/h continue. Skies will stay cloudy for much of the day as a combination of system1 and lake-effect cloud moves through.

As the day progresses and cooler air aloft pushes into the area, both Lake Winnipeg and Manitoba will likely begin to produce some lake-effect snow. Winnipeg may see some of this snow or rain in the morning. By the afternoon, the precipitation will mainly fall in the lee of the lakes. With a northwest wind, this will likely mean that Winnipeg will end up between a band of snow or rain showers to the west and to the east.

Lake-effect flurries are possible in the lee of the lakes today. The most likely areas to see precipitation will be in the lee of Lake Winnipeg.
Lake-effect flurries are possible in the lee of the lakes today. The most likely areas to see precipitation will be in the lee of Lake Winnipeg.

The lake-effect precipitation will taper off overnight as the winds ease and turn westerly. The city will see a low near -2°C as the cloud cover begins breaking up.

Thursday will be a cool day with a high of just +4°C. A ridge of high pressure moving through will keep the winds light, but skies will remain partly cloudy to mixed. A warm front pushing eastwards across the Prairies will spread a southerly wind into the Red River Valley on Thursday night along with a bit of cloud. Winnipeg’s low will sit somewhere around the freezing mark.

A return to seasonal warmth arrives on Friday as temperatures climb to a high near 10°C. The region will likely see a fair amount of cloud as the warmer air pushes as well as a strengthening southerly wind into the 30 to 40 km/h range. These breezy winds will persist through the night, keeping the low relatively mild at around 6°C.

Long Range Outlook

Seasonal warmth will stick around for Saturday, but a passing low will send a cold front sweeping through the region on Saturday night. While the Red River Valley won’t see much precipitation, it will plunge the region into an extended stretch of below-seasonal temperatures. There isn’t much rain or snow in the extended forecast, but with the cooler temperatures it’s likely that lake-effect flurries will be relatively common in the coming week.

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

  1. “System” cloud is the cloud associated with a low pressure system. ↩