Unsettled Friday Ushers in Cooler Weekend

A series of disturbances moving through the region today will bring showers to Winnipeg and send temperatures back below seasonal values for the weekend.

Today will start off with cloudy skies and a few showers moving through the city. These showers are the product of a low-level jet1 moving eastwards through the region. It will move off by mid-morning, but a trough of low pressure moving through later in the morning might trigger a few more showers as it passes by. The city should see mixed skies for the afternoon as temperatures climb to a high near 14°C. It will be a bit breezy today with south 30 gusting 50 km/h winds turning southwesterly and easing a bit this afternoon. Another disturbance will roll through the region a bit later in the evening, dragging a cold front eastwards with it. This will bring another chance of showers to the city this evening and overnight. Temperatures will head to a low near +3°C.

On Saturday, Winnipeg will see windy conditions and cool temperatures. Behind the cold front that will move through overnight, winds will strengthen out of the west into the 30 to 40 km/h range with gusts up to 60 km/h. These winds will gradually turn northwest as they usher in a cooler air mass. Temperatures will be back to below-seasonal values as the city heads to a high of just 11°C. Skies will clear out for Saturday night with a low near -2°C.

Moderate westerly winds will develop over southern Manitoba on Saturday.
Moderate westerly winds will develop over southern Manitoba on Saturday.

Sunday will bring partly cloudy to mixed skies with northerly up to 20 km/h as a ridge of high pressure moves through the region. Mixed skies will continue Sunday night as temperatures head to a low near -1°C.

Long Range Outlook

Next week will start with a chance for some rain on Monday night, but afterwards it looks like the city will see generally mixed skies and a gradual return to seasonal temperatures.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 17°C while the seasonal overnight low is +3°C.

  1. A low-level jet (LLJ) is an area of fast-moving air in the lower atmosphere. They generate lift which can initiate and support precipitation.

Continuing Cool And Cloudy

Seasonably cool temperatures will remain in place over Winnipeg for the rest the week. The city will see plenty of cloud over the next few days along with some chances for rain.

Cloudy skies remain over the Red River Valley today, spread into the region ahead of a disturbance moving into the Dakotas. This system will spread rain northeastwards through the day into the southeastern corner of the province. Winnipeg will find itself just northwest of this area of rain, leaving the city with just a chance of some rain through the afternoon into the evening. The area of rain will likely nudge northwestwards a bit overnight, so the chance for some rain will continue tonight for Winnipeg. Light easterly winds will reinforce the cool temperatures in the region. Winnipeg will see a high near 9°C this afternoon and drop to around +4°C overnight.

A broad area of rain will clip across southeastern Manitoba on Wednesday night.
A broad area of rain will clip across southeastern Manitoba on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, the city will see a lingering chance for some showers first thing in the morning then the cloudy skies will break up through the afternoon. That afternoon sunshine should help temperatures warm a bit, reaching a high near 12°C with light winds. The city will see partly cloudy skies on Thursday night with a low near +3°C.

On Friday, a broad upper low will approach the region from the northwest. As it moves into the region, the increasing instability will result in the development of mixed skies and showers. There may even be a chance for some isolated thunderstorms, but no organized threat of any severe weather exists. Temperatures will climb to a near-seasonal 14°C with breezy southerly winds near 30 gusting 50 km/h. The chance for showers will continue through the night as a cold front slumps into the region. Winds will ease as temperatures head to a low near 5°C.

Long Range Outlook

Unfortunately for those looking for the arrival of summer heat, no significant changes are on the horizon. Seasonably cool temperatures will continue through the weekend and long-range forecasts show just a gradual return to seasonal temperatures. General instability will remain in place through the weekend, sustaining a continued chance of showers right through Sunday.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 16°C while the seasonal overnight low is +2°C.

Windy Spring Weather Ahead

Windy conditions will usher in a return to seasonal temperatures for Winnipeg’s second half of the week.

A pair of cold fronts moving through ahead of a weak Arctic high will shape Winnipeg’s weather over the next few days. For today, temperatures will climb to a high near 19°C but northwesterly winds will pick up to around 30 gusting 50 km/h. The city will also see partly cloudy skies with a chance of showers. The first chance is early this morning as the cold front moves through. A second chance of showers or thundershowers will develop later in the afternoon as a bit of leftover instability burns off. The wind will ease this evening with temperatures falling too a low near +4°C.

On Thursday, Winnipeg will find itself south of another approaching cold front. Northwesterly winds will strengthen to 40 gusting 60 km/h, keeping highs in the region to around 13°C. Winnipeg will see partly cloudy skies through much of the day. As the cold front moves into the region Thursday evening, the city should see cloud cover thicken up with a chance of showers. The wind will ease through the evening as skies gradually clear. Temperatures head to a low near +1°C.

Moderate west-northwesterly winds will develop over soutehastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba on Thursday.
Moderate west-northwesterly winds will develop over soutehastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba on Thursday.

On Friday, the Arctic ridge will finally push into the region. Skies will stay mixed for much of the day and Winnipeg will once again see a high near 13°C. Winds will be a lot calmer than Thursday at around 20 km/h. Skies will finish clouding over on Friday night with a low again near +1°C. Winds will remain light overnight.

Long Range Outlook

Winnipeg will see plenty of cloud cover this weekend with a chance for rain developing late Sunday into Monday. Some forecasts show an organized low developing as much as 25 mm of rain to parts of southern Manitoba on Sunday night through Monday night. We’ll be keeping an eye on that system as it develops later this week.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 14°C while the seasonal overnight low is +1°C.

Spring Temperatures Heating Up

Winnipeg will see a shift towards milder temperatures this week with daytime highs climbing into the upper teens.

A ridge of high pressure moving across the Red River Valley will bring sunny skies with northerly winds near 20 km/h. Temperatures will also be seasonably mild with highs around 17°C this afternoon. Under clear skies and light winds, temperatures will dip back down to a low near +3°C tonight.

For Tuesday, Winnipeg will see afternoon cloud as a low pressure system tracks eastwards across the Prairies. Winds will strengthen from the south to around 30 gusting 50 km/h in the afternoon as a warm front moves through the region. Winnipeg should see a high near 19°C. Heading into the evening, the entire region will see a chance of showers. That chance will persist through much of the night as a little bit of cooling aloft moves in. Winnipeg’s low temperature will be a mild 9°C with a gradually diminishing wind.

Temperatures will climb into the upper teens or low 20s thorugh the Red River Valley on Tuesday.
Temperatures will climb into the upper teens or low 20s thorugh the Red River Valley on Tuesday.

By Wednesday morning, Tuesday’s disturbance should be leaving the region. In its wake will be partly cloudy skies and northwesterly winds of 20 to 30 km/h. With a high near 19°C once again, there may be enough instability left across the region to see a few showers pop up through the day. The wind will ease Wednesday evening and Winnipeg will head to a low near +4°C under partly cloudy skies.

Long Range Outlook

The rest of the week will bring near-seasonal temperatures to Winnipeg with increasing cloudiness into the end of the week. The next organized chance for precipitation looks to be on the weekend as a complex of low pressure systems moves across the Prairies and northern Plains.

Today’s seasonal daytime high in Winnipeg is 13°C while the seasonal overnight low is 0°C.