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
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
Niagara Region 'proactively' declares state of emergency ahead of total solar eclipse
Niagara Region says it has declared a state of emergency 'out of an abundance of caution' as it prepares for an influx of visitors for next month’s total solar eclipse.
This historical tavern in Toronto is closing after nearly 200 years
An historic downtown Toronto bar is closing its doors next week after nearly 200 years in business.
Social media can alter children's brains and impact mental health: neuroscientist
Neuroscientist Emma Duerden says social media can alter children's brains and have negative impacts on their mental health.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Edmonton broadcasting giant Bruce Hogle dead at 95
An Edmonton broadcasting pioneer has passed away.
Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep
Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.