Wintry weather set to make return as storm moves into Manitoba

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This article was published 28/03/2021 (1804 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Those winter coats might have to be pulled out one last time. Manitoba is set to receive varying levels of snow, heavy winds and freezing rain Monday.

A low-pressure system from Alberta travelling east Sunday will cause heavy snow and strong winds in southern Manitoba, while northern Manitoba began to see light snow Sunday afternoon, with heavier snowfall expected early Monday.

A special weather statement released by Environment Canada said southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg and Brandon, will see a brief period of mild weather into mid-day, but temperatures are expected to quickly drop by the evening.

“It is sort of that classic March situation here, where we’re almost out of winter, but there’s that late last blast. This looks to be it for southern Manitoba,” Environment Canada meteorologist Jason Knight said. “It’s not too unusual for March. Our temperatures can swing quite wildly throughout the month.”

A winter storm watch is in effect east of Lake Winnipeg and into central and northern Manitoba. Snowfall in Winnipeg will be 2 to 4 cm, while 5-10 cm might fall in the central Interlake. Southwestern parts of the province will likely be hit with wind gusts as high as 90 km/h Monday afternoon. Winds of up to 70 or 80 km/h are forecast for the eastern areas in the Red River Valley and the Interlake area.

Knight warned heavy winds late Monday night and on Tuesday, along with falling snow, could cause visibility issues while driving.

“It’s basically a one-day event for the entire province,” he said.

By Tuesday evening, the cold weather will lift as the low-pressure system reaches Ontario. Don’t expect the snow to stick around, Knight said. He expects Winnipeg will be “right back to plus double-digits by Thursday.”

“It’s fairly good news for Winnipeg — we tend to dodge the worst of this system on both sides,” he said. “To the west, we’re looking at extremely strong winds gusting to 100 km/h at the Saskatchewan border and, of course, the heavy snow up north. We’re getting off a bit lightly here in the city, which is quite nice for this late in the year.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_