The first Heat Warnings of the year were issued Saturday afternoon for parts of Southern Manitoba, including the Southeast, the Red River Valley, and as far west as the Killarney region.
A ridge of high pressure over the Prairies is expected to allow a well above-average air mass to move into the region from the U.S. southwest for several days. Strong southerly to southwesterly winds are anticipated to push the warm air into much of Southern Manitoba starting Sunday, with daytime highs expected to reach 35 degrees or warmer through Tuesday. Overnight lows on Sunday and Monday night are forecasted to remain in the 20s.
Environment Canada issues Heat Warnings for Southern Manitoba when two or more consecutive days of daytime highs are forecasted to reach 32°C or warmer, and nighttime lows are expected to stay at 16°C or warmer.
The warm air mass is expected to linger until midweek before moving eastward. Forecast models suggest cooler, wetter conditions could arrive ahead of the May Long Weekend.
Record-setting temperatures could be possible, with some areas in Southern Manitoba potentially experiencing record-breaking heat Sunday through Tuesday. Current records for these dates are in the low 30s, but with temperatures possibly pushing into the mid-30s, records may be challenged. At 5pm on Sunday, the temperature at the Kleefeld weather station was at 31C.
Monday's high for Steinbach is 35C, followed by 36 on Tuesday and 34 on Wednesday.