Colleen Bready's Forecast: Cold snap arrives in Manitoba

Simply put, the first cold snap of 2025 is here.

Bitterly cold arctic air flooding Manitoba and northwestern Ontario along northwest winds has brought an abrupt end to weeks of mild temperatures.

The tradeoff under the ridge of high pressure that’s locked on to our region is that the sun will be shining on Friday and throughout the weekend.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued extreme cold warnings for the Brochet and Tadoule Lake regions in northern Manitoba and across northwestern Ontario.

The weather agency’s criteria for issuing the warning varies regionally, so it has not been issued for the south. However, ECCC says warnings could be expanded.

Regardless, be prepared for a bitterly cold day and night ahead on Friday across all regions. Minimally, there is a risk of frostbite in these conditions.

Daytime highs in Winnipeg, the southeast, and northwestern Ontario will hover around -18 C or -19 C with northwest winds that will combine to produce bone-chilling wind chill values in the low -30s.

Brace yourself for even colder temperatures and wind chills in the southwest.

Temperatures across much of the north will only reach the mid-minus 20s this afternoon, while areas furthest north won’t even climb out of the -30s. Wind chills will feel as cold as the -40s.

Even colder, but sunny, conditions are heading Winnipeg’s way throughout the weekend.

Don’t expect much relief early next week. Slight moderation is possible on Monday under some cloud cover, but temperatures will remain well below the normal daytime high for early January of -13 C.

Later in the week, temperature models vary considerably. At this point, it could be Thursday before the bitter cold eases up.