Shannon Dueck

After two weeks of unseasonably mild weather, get ready to hunker down, as things are about to change.

Christy Climenhaga with Environment Canada says right now there is a change in our weather pattern as a large ridge of high pressure is allowing Arctic air to flow south. She notes this will lock in cooler than normal conditions for much of the Prairies. 

Climenhaga explains that the Polar Vortex is air that spins around the North Pole year-round. She notes when it starts to weaken or dislodge, it will track south, pushing cold air towards the United States. 

After two weeks of unseasonably mild weather, get ready to hunker down, as things are about to change.

Christy Climenhaga with Environment Canada says right now there is a change in our weather pattern as a large ridge of high pressure is allowing Arctic air to flow south. She notes this will lock in cooler than normal conditions for much of the Prairies. 

Climenhaga explains that the polar vortex is air that spins around the North Pole year-round. She notes when it starts to weaken or dislodge, it will track south, pushing cold air toward the United States. 

After two weeks of unseasonably mild weather, get ready to hunker down, as things are about to change.

Christy Climenhaga with Environment Canada says right now there is a change in our weather pattern as a large ridge of high pressure is allowing Arctic air to flow south. She notes this will lock in cooler than normal conditions for much of the Prairies. 

Climenhaga explains that the Polar Vortex is air that spins around the North Pole year-round. She notes when it starts to weaken or dislodge, it will track south, pushing cold air towards the United States. 

The Senior Climatologist with Environment Canada says a hailstorm in mid-May ended up being one of the biggest weather events of 2024 for southern Manitoba. 

Environment Canada has released its list of 10 most impactful weather stories of the year. David Phillips says honourable mention goes to the hailstorm on May 16th, which developed between the Manitoba lakes and brought rain and Toonie-sized hail. 

The week of Christmas should be unseasonably mild, lacking any snowstorms in Southern Manitoba.

That is according to the Senior Climatologist for Environment Canada. David Phillips says temperatures this week were colder than normal. And then things change.

"Next week, it's going to be a warm week," says Phillips. 

Six months after a damaging fire at Bothwell Cheese, production is back to normal at the plant in New Bothwell.

The plant was shut down following a serious fire on the morning of June 1st. Robin Redstone is Senior Communications Manager at Gay Lea Foods. She says the fire started in what is referred to as a UFRO (Ultrafiltration Reverse Osmosis) room, which is the part of the plant that is responsible for filtering out the whey; a by-product of the cheese-making process. The fire then resulted in that portion of the plant being completely shut down.

A veteran RCMP officer from Manitoba says this is the worst time of the year to have to break the news to a family member that their loved one has died in a traffic accident. 

Sergeant Paul Manaigre says it is something he has had to do too often throughout his 29-year career. And, he says it is that much worse when the death was caused by something so easily preventable, like impaired driving. 

A veteran RCMP officer from Manitoba says this is the worst time of the year to have to break the news to a family member that their loved one has died in a traffic accident. 

Sergeant Paul Manaigre says it is something he has had to do too often throughout his 29-year career. And, he says it is that much worse when the death was caused by something so easily preventable, like impaired driving. 

Environment Canada's Senior Climatologist says it does not appear as though this winter will be a repeat of last year for southern Manitoba. However, David Phillips says they are also not calling for a very cold winter.

"Last year, winter was cancelled in Canada," jokes Phillips, noting it was the warmest on record for Manitoba, going back 77 years. 

He adds snowfall totals were about half of normal in 2023-24 for this part of the province. 

Environment Canada's Senior Climatologist says it does not appear as though this winter will be a repeat of last year for southern Manitoba. However, David Phillips says they are also not calling for a very cold winter.

"Last year, winter was cancelled in Canada," jokes Phillips, noting it was the warmest on record for Manitoba, going back 77 years. 

He adds that the total snowfall was about half of normal in 2023-24 for this part of the province.