Winnipeg has not recorded a positive temperature since Valentine's Day. Here is how long the cold could last
Manitobans waiting for the temperature to warm up this spring will have to wait a little longer.
Several high and low-pressure systems heading south into Manitoba have resulted in below seasonal temperatures in the province, and a reprieve is not expected right away.
“We don't have anything to stop the cold air from coming down. There's no topography or mountains or anything like that, that can block that air," said Natalie Hassell, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
"So unfortunately, when the flow is from the north of the Northwest, as it often is, we get these very cold conditions."
Hassell said this particular March weather is unusual.
“We don’t keep stats for the length of time where a temperature hasn’t reached a particular threshold, but we have the number of days we typically see,” Hassell said.
“In Winnipeg in March, using the 1989 to 2010 Canadian climate normals, March has about half the month reaching temperatures above zero. Maybe not a lot above zero, but still reaching above zero. The fact we haven’t had any in Winnipeg this year is remarkable.”
Hassell said the last time a March in Winnipeg did not record a temperature above zero degrees was in 1899.
Winnipeg has not had a positive temperature reported since Valentine’s Day this year. Hassell says a brief break from the cold is expected this week, but the temperature will still be below average for this time of year.
“We're still going to stay below normal even well into April,” she said. “It will probably be until the middle of April at the earliest before we see actual normal conditions in Winnipeg.”
THE IMPACT ON MANITOBA’S FLOOD SEASON
Jay Doering, a civil engineering professor at the University of Manitoba, says a later snow melt typically means a larger peak for flooding.
“What we see happening is that things just kind of keep going sideways, and then all of a sudden it jumps up to the to the temperature that would be appropriate for that particular point in time. And when it does that, you miss the opportunity to incrementally sort of work your way up and get a gradual melt,” he said. “So you go from freezing, and all of a sudden now you've got relatively warm temperatures.”
Doering adds despite the potential of a later melt, he doesn’t see it having a big impact on forecasted flooding in Manitoba this year.
“At this point in time, we're not seeing that conveyor belt of back-to-back low-pressure systems that dealt so much precipitation last year,” he said.
“In fact, if anything, what we've seen is that conveyor belt seems to be a little bit further to the south.”
-With files from CTV’s Mason DePatie
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.