Environment Canada is calling for the next few days to be wet, snowy and windy in southeastern Manitoba including the City of Winnipeg.
Natalie Hasell says there is a system passing through that started as rain Tuesday morning. About five millimetres of rain is expected. As temperatures began to drop Tuesday night, that rain turned to light snow for many areas.
The temperature is expected to climb above the freezing mark on Wednesday and so the snow will again turn to rain, before becoming snow again Wednesday night and Thursday.
By the time the system passes through Thursday night, Hasell says most areas will see the liquid-equivalent of 10 millimetres of precipitation. However, parts of the far southeast could see up to 30 millimetres. Hasell says she does not think there will be any sort of rainfall warning issued over the next 48 hours.
This system will also bring wind to southern Manitoba. On Tuesday, winds will be from the southeast, gusting to 50 kilometres per hour. By Wednesday, they will shift to the north, gusting to 70 kilometres per hour. The wind is expected to let up by Friday when a return to sunshine and 5 degrees is in the forecast for Winnipeg.
Because of the temperature, Hasell says the snow that falls will likely be sticky. For that reason, she says even with wind gusts of 70 kilometres per hour, visibility should not be too bad. Though she notes it could be reduced in snow and there could be some blowing snow in open areas.
Hasell says the freeze/thaw cycle over the next few days could also lead to some slick areas for motorists in the mornings.
As mentioned, Friday is expected to bring with it a return of sunshine and normal highs. The average temperature for this time of year is 8 degrees.
Meanwhile, Hasell says they are tracking another system coming from the west that looks like it could hit us early next week. However, she notes not all models are in agreement on this one.