Manitoba weather forecast: Cold weather here to stay until the weekend

If you haven’t already noticed, the first bitter cold snap of the year is now underway in Winnipeg.

At 7 a.m., the hourly temperature recorded at Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) station at the airport was a frigid -30 C.

No surprise, the weather agency has issued an extreme cold warning for the city and most of southern Manitoba.

An Arctic ridge of high pressure has locked on to the province that won’t release its grip on the south until temperatures begin to moderate on Friday.

On the other hand, the sun will be shining under the ridge today and on Thursday. Cold comfort, perhaps.

Daytime highs this afternoon across most of Manitoba, north and south, will reach between -23 C and -25 C. Wind chill values will feel in the low -30s.

Conditions are similar this afternoon in northwestern Ontario, where ECCC has also issued an extreme cold warning.

Ahead tonight, brace for even colder conditions.

Overnight lows in southern Manitoba will plummet into the low -30s  - and that’s just the air temperatures. Wind chill values will feel like -40 or even colder overnight.

Be prepared for similar conditions on Thursday during the day and at night. 

After improving temperatures on Friday, the forecast high for Saturday in Winnipeg is a much more comfortable -7 C.