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Your weekend weather

By: Doug Speirs

Posted: 02/16/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

The Weather Column admittedly has a tendency toward wild exaggeration, but believe us when we tell you there is literally too much cool stuff to do this weekend.

If you were to make a list of all the awesome events to help you decide which ones to enjoy over the next few days, you would become paralysed by indecision and find yourself curled up in the fetal position on the floor in your den, whimpering like a wounded woodland creature.

Before we start fretting about that, however, let's take a few minutes to fret over what kind of weather we will have to do cool stuff in during this desperately needed holiday weekend.

If you are one of those lunatic outdoor enthusiasts who feels we currently do not have enough snow, you're in luck.

My buddy Dale Marciski at Environment Canada says a low-pressure system developing in Alberta is going to bring us some milder air, increasing cloudiness and, yes, a few snow flurries. Today, we can expect a high of -7 C, compared to the normal high of -8 C, and a 60 per cent chance of flurries in the afternoon and evening.

The really mild air should begin to caress us on Sunday, with a balmy high of -2 C and a bit more snow. On Monday, Louis Riel Day, we're talking another mild high of -5 C and periods of blowing snow, which could make highway driving a bit tricky. The rest of the week will be a bit colder, but we don't need to think about that, do we?

Speaking of stuff to do, you are going to want to put on your multi-coloured sash and trade-blanket overcoat today and head down to Fort Gibraltar in Voyageur Park for the 44th annual Festival du Voyageur for a feast of sleigh rides, fiddle music, beard-growing, snow sculptures, pea soup, maple taffy and a bunch more things we don't have room to list here. Get tickets at Safeway stores, the festival office at 147 Provencher Blvd., and the Centre culturel franco-manitobain.

Next, slip into your kilts, hold your heads high and march over to the convention centre today for the 20th annual Winnipeg Scottish Festival, featuring the best in Scottish piping, drumming and highland dancing.

And if it's February, it must be time for Mardi Gras. So put on your bead necklaces (and not much else) and sashay back to the convention centre tonight and let the good times roll. Tickets are $16 at Ticketmaster.

Sounds like a full weekend, right? Well, it's not. Because we also strongly urge you to take a break from the festivals and visit the Winnipeg Humane Society, 45 Hurst Way, Sunday and Monday from noon to 6 p.m. for their annual book and movie sale. No doubt some of the books will be a little dog-eared. Ha! Hello?

And what better way to celebrate Louis Riel Day Monday than by getting your history on at the St. Boniface Museum from 11 a.m-5 p.m. There's hot chocolate, bannock, great music and an entertaining presentation from the director, my longtime buddy Philippe Mailhot. Better still, admission is free! Did I mention there's a fundraising Pawsta Night dinner for D'Arcy's A.R.C. tonight at the Winnipeg Winter Club? I'm pretty sure I did. Tickets are $6 and $12.

There's a lot more stuff going on, but we are out of room for today. Hope you enjoy these amazing events. If you're looking for me, I'll be curled up on the floor in my den. Just follow the whimpering noises.

doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2013 A2

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