An Alberta Clipper is headed our way. Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says it will bring stormy conditions to Southern Manitoba on Friday. This has prompted a Winter Storm Watch to be issued.
Prior to that, Hasell says Thursday will see temperatures around the freezing mark, with a chance of flurries and a risk of freezing rain for this part of the province. Then, as the low-pressure system passes through overnight, it will bring about a change in our weather.
Hasell refers to it as a powerful and potent low-pressure system. She notes Alberta Clippers are known for being a smaller system than a Colorado Low. And, because they move faster than a Colorado Low, they do not have time to dump a lot of snow. Therefore, they are often described as fast-moving systems, with strong winds, but not known for being heavy snow events.
Hasell says areas north of us will receive the greatest amounts of snow from this system, ranging from 15 to 25 centimetres. And though the models are not in agreement, Hasell says it appears that this part of the province will see very little snow, yet very powerful winds, beginning Friday.
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"We are looking at winds out of the northwest gusting to 80 kilometres per hour," says Hasell. "That could lead to reduced visibility in blowing snow, to the point of blizzard conditions."
The winds are expected to pick up Friday morning, creating widespread poor visibility for much of the day in the Pembina Valley.
"The windy conditions continue Friday night," she says. "Most of the blowing snow should be done by then, but there's still that possibility of loose snow being picked up."
Then, after the system passes through, we can expect temperatures to plunge.
"We see the cold temperatures really settle in on the weekend," she says. "That typical Southern Manitoba sunny but really quite cold."
For Winkler, Environment Canada is calling for a high of -21 degrees for both Saturday and Sunday, with overnight lows dipping to nearly -30.
Meanwhile, Hasell says it might be a good idea to reconsider your schedule for the next few days. She suggests avoiding being on the roads during this storm.
Hasell says if you must travel, make sure your vehicle is working properly, is fueled up and that you have an emergency kit. She says to make sure your cell phone is charged and to let someone know about your travel plans.
If you happen to get stranded on the road, Hasell says you should stay in your vehicle, as it is already offering you shelter.
"Distances are very hard to judge on the highway because we're used to travelling at 100 kilometres per hour," says Hasell. "So that thing in the distance on a normal day would be reached relatively quickly, by foot, not so much."