Mother Nature is serving up a smorgasbord of conditions in Manitoba during the Thanksgiving long weekend. A developing low pressure system is the culprit, which has triggered a special weather statement from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for a large swath of northern Manitoba. The weather agency warns the strong system will bring rain Friday that will gradually change to snow through Saturday into Sunday as colder air wraps into the region. Currently, ECCC expects the precipitation to generally fall as rain. Still, much of the storm system will take place with temperatures just a couple degrees above freezing. If they slide further, there is the potential that more of the precipitation could fall as heavy, wet snow. But first, that system will likely first track through the Parkland and parts of the northern Red River Valley on Friday. Winnipeg and other more southern locales have a lower chance of showers, but areas further north, like Gimli and Selkirk, have a stronger likelihood of needing the rain gear. The whole southern region can expect mostly cloudy skies with highs in the upper teens or low twenties in Brandon and Neepawa’s case. Winds will also be strong and gusty. Next, showers are expected to begin in the northwest Friday afternoon alongside cooler highs in the upper single digits, while regions in the northeast, like Thompson and Churchill, are expected to keep the rain at bay until the evening. Overnight, about 5 to 10 millimetres worth of precipitation could fall throughout northern Manitoba. As for southern Manitoba, skies start to clear overnight Friday, with temperatures remaining downright balmy in the mid to low teens. Into Saturday, a major uptick in temperatures is expected in the south, with highs in the upper teens to mid-20s alongside beautiful sunny skies. Winnipeg is expected to reach 24 C while Brandon is no slouch at 23 C. The warmup will be short-lived. Temperatures are expected to plunge below seasonal lows into Sunday with a strong chance of rain throughout southern Manitoba.
