It looks like Canada Day weekend will be book-ended by rain, with two different systems expected to bring precipitation to Southern Manitoba.
"The first wave of showers off an upper level low crossing the southern Prairies moved through the region Thursday night and overnight into the early morning hours of Friday," explained CMOS Accredited Weathercaster Chris Sumner. "For the most part, the heaviest Thursday bands stayed west and north of the Pembina and Red River Valley's, with the most significant band of rainfall Friday morning remaining in North Dakota. What that means, is we're seeing totals this morning a little below what the initial estimates were yesterday for our area, and on point for those regions west and north. The low is currently centred over southern Saskatchewan, and will work eastward throughout the day, with the expectation of additional showers Friday, possibly a further 5 to 10mm."
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The Pembina and Red River Valleys are waking up to a cloudy sky and periodic showers Friday morning, with daytime highs expected to be well below average for the end of June.
"As the cold front fully passes through, and wind shifts northerly, we'll see temperatures slide throughout the day from this morning's 15 to 16 degrees, down to 12 or 13," he added.
Normals heading into Canada Day weekend are 26 degrees daytime and 13 degrees overnight.
The following are totals for Thursday, June 27th through Friday, June 28th 5 a.m. (unless otherwise noted), and are courtesy PembinaValleyOnline Rainwatchers, Environment Canada and the Manitoba Ag Weather Network:
Somerset - 23.3mm
Clearwater - 18.6mm
Reinland - 17mm
Carman - 15.2mm
Manitou - 14.3mm
Rosenfeld - 12.5mm
Kane(two miles south of Morden - 12.0mm
Pilot Mound - 11.9mm (Thurs only)
Elm Creek - 11.7mm
Plum Coulee - 11.43mm
Winkler (south of city) - 10.3mm
Jordan - 10.6mm
Emerson - 7.6mm (Thurs only)
Morden AAFC Station - 7.5mm (Thurs only - 3/10)
Morris - 7.1mm
Dominion City - 6.2mm
Altona (in town) - 6mm
Steinbach - 5.5mm (just over 5.5mm
Gretna - 4.1mm (Thurs only)
25mm = 1 inch
Looking ahead to Saturday and Sunday, according to Sumner, conditions will improve with surface high pressure building over the region.
"That will help clear things out, and leave us with mainly sunny conditions for both days, and temperatures still below average for the end of the month," he said. "Saturday will be in the 18 to 20 range, with Sunday a little warmer 21 to 23, but with the mainly sunny sky, things should feel warmer."
Those two days will be the ones to take advantage of over the long weekend, stressed Sumner, with yet another system poised to make Canada Day a wet one.
"An upper level low, very similar to the one impacting the region Friday, will take a very similar path across the southern Prairies, and will bring another round of precipitation," noted Sumner. "Based on the current forecast models it looks like showers will start at some point Sunday night, with periods of rain throughout much of July 1st. At this point, I'm still a little reluctant to say it will be a rain out for Canada Day, but at this point I would definitely encourage you to plan for showers and the potential of having to adjust your Monday plans due to rain."