Manitoba is next to see snow in the West, could be hefty for Winnipeg
Manitoba will join the snow train this week as it rides across Western Canada.
B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan have all joined it, and that means the next stop is Manitoba. While some flakes appeared in parts of the province on Tuesday morning, there's much more on the way.
RELATED: Atmospheric floodgates allow brisk air, hefty snowfall into Alberta
A bigger system brewing stateside could come with some significant snowfall as it eyes Winnipeg later in the week. Drivers are being urged to prepare for the first dose of winter travel.
Round 1: Wednesday evening to Thursday morning
By Wednesday, a stateside low will track eerily close to the Canada-U.S. border, which could bring snow to southern Manitoba Wednesday to Thursday morning.
Confidence is present that wet snowfall may impact Wednesday's commute home, especially in the southwest where snowfall warnings have been issued. This will just be a light appetizer for what follows.
With this being the first winter driving of the year, expect many slowdowns Wednesday evening and Thursday, and be sure to leave extra commuting time.
Round 2: Thursday evening to Friday
A stronger, borderline winter storm may bring a more significant swath of snowfall through Thursday. There is uncertainty with the track of the system, leading to a hit-or-miss forecast at this time.
Some weather models have the storm track too far to the south to have a significant impact on the region. But, if the more northerly track verifies, southern Manitoba will see 10-20+ cm of snow.
Heavier totals will be south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Do not count out lake-effect snowfall, too, along the shores of Lake Manitoba. A colder air mass descending from the Arctic and rushing over the warmer waters will awaken lake-effect precipitation though the mid- to the end of the work week.
Snowiest October records are not in jeopardy
While the arrival of snow may come as a bit of a shock to the system, we certainly won't be plunging into the snowiest October on record, or anything close to it, really.
In 1959 for example, more than 100 cm of snow fell in Brandon.
More recently, nearly 40 cm of snow fell across southern Manitoba during October of 2019. That early blast of winter weather left 30 cm of snow on the ground in the City of Winnipeg.
Keep checking back to The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather in Manitoba.
