Warmer, Windy Weather Ahead

Winnipeg will see warm and windy weather this weekend with a chance of seeing the sun again!

A disturbance crossing Manitoba today will start bringing drier air into the province and help clear out some cloud. In the Red River Valley, southerly winds will pick up into the 20 to 30 km/h range this afternoon, but the clouds will linger. There will continue to be a chance for freezing drizzle or flurries as temperatures head to a high near -3°C. A trough moving through this evening will usher in westerly winds that will start to break up the cloud cover. Temperatures will dip to a low near -7°C as winds ease.

Saturday will mark the beginning of Winnipeg’s windy weekend as a warm front pushes into the region. Winds will pick up out of the south again to 30 gusting 50 km/h with more cloud than sun. Temperatures will climb towards 0°C through the day, then up above freezing in the evening as winds shift to the southwest. Skies will stay mixed overnight with temperatures dipping back below freezing for Sunday morning.

RDPS 2m Temperature Forecast valid 00Z Sunday February 2, 2020
A warm front will push across the Red River Valley on Saturday evening, ushering in above-freezing temperatures.

A cold front will slump southwards through the Red River Valley on Sunday, bringing more cloud into the region and strengthening west-northwest winds. The Red River Valley will see winds strengthen to 30 gusting 50 km/h except for the western escarpment region where gusts up to 60 km/h will be likely. The organized snow associated with this system will likely stay north of Winnipeg, crossing through the southern Interlake.

ECMWF 24hr. Accumulated Snowfall Forecast (10:1 SLR) valid 00Z Monday February 3, 2020
The organized snowfall with this system will cross through the southern Interlake, leaving Winnipeg with a chance of flurries as the cold front slumps southwards.

The city will likely see mixed skies through the day with a chance of flurries. There could be a chance of patchy freezing rain, but it’s too early to say with any certainty. Winds will gradually taper off on Sunday night as skies clear with temperatures dipping to a low near -13°C.

Long Range Outlook

Temperatures return towards seasonal values to start next week as a ridge of high pressure builds into the region. The city will finally see some sunshine through the first half of the week with little cloud or snow expected. More cloud is forecast to move in through the second half of the week as warmer temperatures return.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is -11°C while the seasonal overnight low is -21°C.

A Windy Warm-Up Ahead

Winnipeg will see a period of windy conditions ahead as milder Pacific air builds into the region.

Conditions will remain seasonably chilly in Winnipeg today with a high near -15°C. The tail end of an Arctic ridge is keeping the cold temperatures in the region today, but a big change is right around the corner. Skies will stay sunny today but winds will gradually pick up out of the south, reaching this afternoon. The winds will keep up through the night with temperatures remaining steady around -14°C. Cloud cover will begin moving into the Red River Valley late overnight.

RDPS 10m Wind Forecast valid 18Z Tuesday January 21, 2020
Moderate southerly winds will remain in place over the Red River Valley on Tuesday.

Tuesday will bring mainly cloudy skies to Winnipeg and area with moderate southerly winds gusting up to 60 km/h. Temperatures will continue to climb as the mild Pacific air continues to push towards the region; Winnipeg will see a seasonably warm high near -8°C. The wind will finally ease on Tuesday night as temperatures hover around -8°C.

Mainly cloudy skies continue on Wednesday with a mild high near -4°C and light winds. Temperatures look like they’ll drop to a low near -13°C on Wednesday night under mostly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

The rest of the week looks warmer, warmer, warmer! There will be plenty of cloud around as temperatures gradually climb towards the freezing mark. The region will likely see highs near -1°C by the weekend into next week. No significant snow is in the forecast.

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

Mild Friday Followed by Winter Storm With Snow, Blowing Snow

A developing winter storm system will bring mild temperatures today followed by snow, blowing snow, and colder temperatures on Saturday.

Winnipeg will see mostly cloudy conditions today as temperatures climb to a seasonably warm -8°C. The warmer weather is moving into the region ahead of a potent low pressure system set to track across the Northern Plains later today. Much of the day will bring winds out of the southeast near 30 gusting 50 km/h, but they will diminish through the afternoon as a trough of low pressure moves into the Red River Valley.

Light snow will move into the region in the afternoon, then intensify through the evening and persist overnight. The wind will pick back up out of the northwest overnight to 30 gusting 50 km/h, combining with the snow to produce areas of reduced visibility in blowing snow. Winnipeg will see close to 10 cm of snow by Saturday morning with higher amounts expected to the southeast.

NAM 1km Reflectivity with Precipitation Type Forecast valid 03Z Saturday January 18, 2020
Moderate to heavy snow will develop over southern Manitoba on Friday evening.

Winnipeg will see temperatures remain steady near -17°C on Saturday with light snow continuing through much of the day. The wind will strengthen even more to 40 gusting 60 km/h, producing widespread blowing snow through the Red River Valley. Localized blizzard conditions may even develop, particularly through the western Red River Valley. The region will see about 2 cm of additional snow through the day. Winds will ease slightly to 30 gusting 50 km/h on Saturday night, bringing some improvement to the blowing snow across the region. Temperatures will dip to a low near -20°C on Saturday night.

RDPS 10m Wind Speed Forecast valid 15Z Saturday January 18, 2020
Moderate to strong northwest winds will be in place over southern Manitoba on Saturday.

Everything will move out of the region on Sunday with diminishing winds and clearing skies. Temperatures will climb to a high near -16°C. Winds will shift to the west through the day as an Arctic high passes by to the southwest. Skies should be clear on Sunday night with a low near -26°C.

Long Range Outlook

For those tired of the cold, the long-range forecast is looking pretty good. Cooler weather will stick around for Monday, but then a large-scale pattern shift will allow milder Pacific air to spread across the Prairies. Much of next week should see daytime highs in the -5 to -10°C range with overnight lows dipping into the minus teens. No major snow events are in the forecast. So if you’re cold adverse, just make it through one more cold snap and you’ll have plenty to look forward to!

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

Cooler With Mid-Week Snow

Temperatures will cool to seasonably cool values in Winnipeg after the passage of a low pressure system on Monday. An accumulating mid-week snowfall will then lead to even colder temperatures heading into the weekend.

Winnipeg will enjoy sunny conditions for much of today with temperatures climbing to a high near -2°C. Winds will pick up out of the south-southwest to around 30 km/h midday, then shift west-northwest by the evening to 40 gusting 60 km/h. This wind shift will bring more cloud into the region along with flurries that will persist for much of the night. A cold front passing through overnight will shift the winds solidly northwest and send temperatures to a low near -18°C Tuesday morning. The flurries will taper off sometime late overnight or early Tuesday.

RDPS Forecast 10m Winds valid 21Z Monday January 6, 2020
Moderate west-northwest winds will spread into the Red River Valley again on Monday.

Through the day on Tuesday, a sprawling Arctic high will build into the eastern Prairies. The northwest winds near 30 gusting 50 km/h will continue into the afternoon before gradually diminishing as the high arrives. Temperatures will be much cooler in Winnipeg than the values seen lately with a high near -16°C. Temperatures will dip to a low near -26°C on Tuesday night with light winds under mainly clear skies.

On Wednesday, a sunny start to the day will bring increasing cloudiness through the afternoon. A low pressure system moving into the U.S. will push an inverted trough across southern Manitoba on Wednesday night. As it approaches on Wednesday afternoon, winds will pick up out of the southeast to 30 to 40 km/h as temperatures climb to a high near -16°C. The windy conditions, combined with fairly cold temperatures, will result in some blowing snow through the Red River Valley, but the severity will be significantly limited by minimal snow cover in some areas. Snow will begin late in the afternoon and continue for most of the night.

NAM Forecast 1km Reflectivity with Precipitation Type valid 03Z Thursday January 9, 2020
A broad area of moderate snow will spread across southern Manitoba on Wednesday evening.

Accumulations over an 18 hour period or so will reach up to 10–15 cm in the Red River Valley and 10–20 cm to the west-northwest over southwest and western Manitoba. Blowing snow may produce poor visibilities overnight as the moderate snow combines with the windy conditions.

Long Range Outlook

Seasonal temperatures will stick around for Thursday with a continued chance of flurries and cloudy skies. Clearing will begin pushing into the region on Thursday night, marking the arrival of a colder air mass. Daytime highs will drop into the -15 to -20°C range on Friday and stay there right into next week. Overnight lows will drop as well, varying through the -20 to -30°C range.

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