Pre-Halloween snow cover puts this year in running for city’s earliest winter, so… yay? By: Chris Kitching Posted: 5:16 PM CDT Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 Last Modified: 6:17 PM CDT Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 Updates

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This article was published 01/11/2023 (1046 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether it was welcomed with cheers or jeers, most Manitobans will agree winter seemed to arrive a lot earlier than usual this year.

They may not be wrong. This could end up being Winnipeg’s earliest start to winter — based on snow cover of at least two centimetres — since record-keeping began almost 70 years ago, said Scott Kehler, president and chief scientist at Weatherlogics.

“At this time of year, it all comes down to whether there’s enough cold air on the Prairies to produce snow,” he said. “We’re in a transition season, so in some years that Arctic air isn’t available. This year, it is.”

Winnipeg recorded more than two centimetres of snow on the ground starting last Thursday, which will be the earliest date for that threshold as long as the snow doesn’t melt prior to spring, said Kehler.

The clock “restarts” if the snow depth drops below two centimetres, he said.

The latest forecasts do not show a warmup in the short term.

“Based on the weather over the coming weeks, it is possible this will be the earliest (winter), but it’s too soon to say,” said Kehler.

The current earliest snow cover on record is Oct. 27, 1972. Records date back to 1955.

“Based on the weather over the coming weeks, it is possible this will be the earliest (winter), but it’s too soon to say.”–Scott Kehler

While the snow may be a bleak sight for some, you’re unlikely to hear complaints from businesses that rely on it or Manitobans who love to play in it.

Colder-than-normal weather allowed Asessippi Ski Area and Resort to start making snow Monday, while the temperature plunged to about -18 C overnight.

“That’s the earliest ever start,” said assistant manager Shannon Johnston. “It was nice to get a little kickstart.”

Located about 360 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, the ski area has a tentative opening date of Dec. 1.

“Our goal is to open as much terrain as we can early on,” said Johnston.

Manitoba’s snowmobile clubs are preparing trails for the upcoming riding season. Last year’s season started in mid-December, which was earlier than usual, said Yvonne Rideout, executive director of Snoman Inc., which represents 53 clubs that groom more than 13,000 kilometres of trails.

“We’re hoping for something similar this year,” said Rideout.

It’s not just snow that is needed for that to happen.

“We need a lot of frost yet in the ground,” said Rideout. “It provides an insulation factor.”

October warmer, snowier than usual

Kehler said October had a mean temperature of 6.2 C, which was 1.1 C warmer than usual due to nicer weather at the start of the month.

A snowfall total of 21.6 cm (15.9 cm above normal) made it the 11th snowiest October since 1872, he said.

Last week’s snow formed as cold Arctic air was drawn into low-pressure systems that swept across the province, said Kehler.

Colder air temperatures allowed the snow to stick around. Normally, there’s enough warm air at this time of year to melt any snow that falls.

Bundled-up trick-or-treaters had to trudge through snow and tread carefully on ice on Halloween night.

Weatherlogics reported seven cm of snow on the ground in Winnipeg Wednesday. The company is contracted by the City of Winnipeg to provide official snow data, said Kehler.

Environment and Climate Change Canada reported eight cm of snow cover in Winnipeg on Tuesday. The record for Oct. 31, set in 1971, is 18 cm.

“Normally, we wouldn’t see this much snow at the end of October,” said Natalie Hasell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada. “There’s really a good chance that what’s on the ground now is going to stick around for awhile.”

“There’s really a good chance that what’s on the ground now is going to stick around for awhile.”–Natalie Hasell

Temperatures are expected to remain below normal in the coming days. For Winnipeg, the normal high is 3 C and the normal low is -6 C.

Environment Canada is predicting highs of -1 C and zero for Thursday and Friday, respectively, and overnight lows of -9 C and -7 C. Similar temperatures are expected into early next week.

Temperatures at or just above zero could result in a little bit of melting. Drivers should be prepared for slippery road conditions.

“Anything that melts could freeze,” said Hasell.

Manitobans should ensure they have winter emergency kits for their homes and cars, she said.

She also recommended people switch to winter tires, if they can afford them, and get their home furnaces checked and cleaned to avoid breakdowns, given much colder weather will eventually arrive.

Early winter near or above normal

Environment Canada’s seasonal forecast for November to January suggests most temperatures in southern Manitoba are likely to be near or above normal for the period.

There is no dominant trend for possible precipitation, said Hasell.

The early snow cover followed the second-longest growing season on record, said Kehler.

Based on data at Winnipeg’s airport, the growing season (the period between the last spring and first fall frosts) was 156 days.

Kehler said the average is 121 days, while the longest season on record (set in 1963) was 157 days.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca