It seems quite likely much of the Pembina and western Red River Valleys will be spared from the heaviest snowfall associated with a complex weather set up that saw its first wave lead to a quick shot of several centimeters of snow along and north of the Trans Canada highway late Thursday afternoon.
"The Winnipeg area and southeastern Manitoba, east of Highway 75, received anywhere between 2cm and 7cms of snow yesterday evening from the initial wave of precipitation off the low pressure system that originated in northwestern Alberta and then crossed the Prairies to Southern Manitoba," explained CMOS Accredited Weathercaster Chris Sumner. "That disturbance will weaken Friday morning, and has been producing light freezing drizzle and rain throughout regions south of the Number One highway. It's with this in mind, the early part of the final school day before Spring Break will feature a partly snow and ice covered commute in most areas."
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The risk of freezing rain and drizzle will last for much of Friday morning. According to Sumner, the second part of the story comes from a surface low that is now pushing through the Dakotas into Minnesota, and how that may impact the likelihood of additional icing and snowfall potential Friday afternoon. Alongside that, will be snowfall that may develop along the jet stream that's flowing over southeastern Saskatchewan and Southern Manitoba today.
As for snowfall, the forecast has shifted considerably over the past twelve hours, with the heaviest swath of snow expected to remain north of the Trans Canada Highway. As of Friday morning, Snowfall Warnings remain in place for the City of Winnipeg, as well the Whiteshell, and regions east of Steinbach. According to Environment Canada, places within the Warning area may see final overall snowfall totals between 15cm and 25cms, with snow tapering off throughout the morning.
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"Further south, in our area, it's still possible we may see a few centimeters, possibly in that 2 to 5cm range, but that's about it," said Sumner. "It's important to note we are still expecting gusty northeasterly winds for much of the day, up to 60km/h, so if we do receive even minimal snowfall, blowing snow and reduced visibility would be possible."
Looking ahead to the weekend, and the official start to Spring break, below average conditions are expected as a cooler airmass builds behind the exiting system impacting Southern Manitoba Friday. Daytime highs Saturday and Sunday will range from -2 to -4, with averages for the end of March around +5 degrees.