This week will feature a much needed break from winter, as temperatures soar to well above seasonal values.

Temperatures on Monday will reach the mid minus single digits in Southern Manitoba. There will be a fairly stiff west wind in place throughout the day though, which will make conditions considerably less comfortable than they would otherwise be. On Tuesday we’ll have our first shot at the 0C mark this week, as a low pressure system brings in a warm surge of air from the west. Unfortunately there may be some snow on Tuesday associated with the low pressure system. Amounts will not be particularly high, probably no more than a few centimetres in most areas. Despite the small amounts there could be travel difficulties as the snow is likely to be wet in nature and could present icing issues.

On Wednesday temperatures will remain warm, with highs just slightly below the freezing mark in most areas. We’ll have our best shot at getting above zero on Thursday as a big push of warm air moves into Manitoba from the south-west.

At this point it appears that this warm spell will end on Friday, with a low pressure system passing to our south prompting another arctic air mass to descend into Southern Manitoba. This system may bring a decent snowfall to portions of Southern Manitoba on Friday as well, though it is too early to discuss the details of it. In the longer range most indications suggest that we are in a for a very cold period through the middle of January, with a significant arctic air mass settling over the Prairies. With that in mind, there is all the more reason to enjoy this week’s pleasant “break” from winter.