Heavy rains soak southern /eastern MB

A strong storm system brought heavy rainfall across southern MB June 26-27th. The storm began as showers and thunderstorms Friday the 26th with heaviest amounts across the southern RRV and southeast MB. The system then wound up as an intense low pressure system over northwest Ontario on the 27th, bringing a soaking wind-driven rain over eastern MB, with the heaviest rainfall over the Interlake and Whiteshell areas. Here is a summary of rainfall amounts over the past 2 days.

Official observations (EC)

Location storm total

Brandon - 11.0 mm
Carberry - 13.2 mm
Oakpoint - 24.6 mm
Pilot Mound - 27.8 mm
Winnipeg - airport - 31.2 mm
Portage la Prairie - 33.8 mm
Delta marsh - 35.2 mm
Deerwood - 36.4 mm
Sprague - 40.6 mm
Morden - 47.0 mm
Fisher Branch - 48.2 mm
Winnipeg - the forks- 50.6 mm
Gimli - 67.7 mm
Gretna - 72.2 mm
Carman - 75.2 mm
Great Falls - 92.0 mm
Pinawa - 94.6 mm

Unofficial observations

Location storm total

Altona - 85.0 mm
Arborg - 75.0 mm
Dugald - 78.4 mm
Elm Creek - 62.0 mm
Landmark - 99.8 mm
Letellier - 76.4 mm
Marchand - 92.7 mm
Morris - 85.2 mm
Portage la Prairie - 47.2 mm
Selkirk - 84.4 mm
St. Pierre - 101.8 mm
Starbuck - 36.4 mm
Steinbach - 82.0 mm
Teulon - 67.8 mm
Treherne - 55.8 mm
Winnipeg north - 59.0 mm
Winnipeg west - 35.0 mm
Winnipeg south - 55.0 mm
Winnipeg southwest - 38.8 mm
Woodlands - 48.8 mm

Thunderstorms and heavy rain possible Friday night

A trough of low pressure over Saskatchewan will be advancing towards southern Manitoba Friday into Friday night. Southerly winds ahead of the trough will bring a warm and increasingly humid airmass over southern MB during the day, with thunderstorms developing by late afternoon or evening. The storms may generate heavy rainfall over the Red River valley Friday night into Saturday morning with rainfall amounts of 20-30 mm likely, with 50 mm or more possible in some areas. Some storms may be severe with large hail and damaging winds. Cooler and unsettled weather will follow on Saturday before a drying trend Saturday night into Sunday.

Sunny warm morning for Manitoba marathon

Sunny and warm weather conditions prevailed today for this year’s Manitoba Marathon, coinciding with the first official day of summer  The race started at 7 am with temperatures at a comfortable 19c. However, the strong sun quickly warmed up temperatures to 24c by 9 am and 27c by 10:30 am with southerly breeze of 20 to 25 km/h. Humidity levels were moderate, with dewpoints around 15c.  The conditions were a marked change from the weeks of below normal temperatures leading up to the marathon.

Locally severe thunderstorms possible this afternoon

Hot and humid weather over southern MB today along with an approaching trough of low pressure will set the stage for the development of some strong thunderstorms this afternoon.. some of which may reach severe limits. A severe thunderstorm is defined as a thunderstorm producing one or more of the following..

- hail of 2 cm or more (nickel size or greater),
- wind gusts of 90 km/h or more
- rainfall of 50 mm in one hour or less, or 75 mm within 3 hours
- tornadoes

Today's thunderstorms will likely be slow moving storms given a weak flow aloft, so heavy rainfall will be the main threat, although some storms could produce nickle to quarter size hail given the instability levels. Storms are expected to develop over western MB this afternoon ahead of the low pressure trough, and move into the Red River valley by evening before dissipating tonight. Stay tuned for updates and possible watches and warnings on today's weather..

Website update #2

Well, things continue to go from bad to worse with my website. While attempting to fix the problem with my files uploading to Shaw, I inadvertently deleted my drop down menu sub directory. So I have no drop down menu right now in case you're wondering what happened to it. Note that if you click on the CTV temperature map, you'll get a link to Rob's Obs maps page which has some of the maps and images from the drop down menu. But I'm still having FTP problems with Shaw. So my website will be "Rob's Obs lite" for the next little while, as I don't have time to troubleshoot or redesign the website right now. Note that you can get updated weather for Charleswood from the PJ School weather station, but I don't know how much longer that site will be up once school is out. Note also that wind data from that site is not functioning.

Finally!

After 30 days of below normal temperature (see graph), southern Manitobans were finally treated to beautiful summerlike weather today with bright blue skies, light winds, and warm temperatures in the mid 20s. The good news is the warm weather will continue over the next several days, although there may be some showers or thunderstorms developing by Tuesday. The warm weather is welcome news to area farmers and gardeners who are in desperate need of warm weather to increase soil temperatures for crop growth that has been delayed due to the prolonged cold and damp weather this spring.

Gradual warm up this weekend.. summerlike warmth finally moving in early next week

It's been a long time coming, but models are finally indicating a return to more typical summerlike weather over southern MB by early next week. Temperatures have been struggling in the teens for the past 7 days, with our last 20C day back on June 3rd when we hit 23C, the normal high for this time of year. Temperatures will finally be climbing up to the 20C mark by Friday into Saturday with partly sunny skies, although lingering instability will likely lead to scattered "hit and miss" showers both days. More stable weather will begin Sunday with sunshine and temperatures in the low to mid 20s, climbing into the mid to upper 20s early next week. This will feel downright hot to Manitobans who have had to contend with below normal temperatures now for 6 consecutive months.

Website update

I continue to have problems uploading my VWS weather station graphics onto the Shaw webservers. I've updated my website with some other images and graphics, including current conditions from my Charleswood station from Weather Underground, but it's not ideal. I'll let you know if and when there's any status change.

Cloudy cool weather to persist.. Rain moving in Monday

Cloudy cool weather will continue over southern MB for the next few days, with some rain spreading over the Red River valley Monday into Monday night, tapering off Tuesday. 10-15 mm of rain is likely with this next system over the Red River valley with 15-25 mm possible over western MB. In fact, there's even a chance some of that rain will mix with or change to wet snow Monday night over higher elevations of western MB near the SK border. Rain will taper off Tuesday morning but cloudy and cool conditions will persist through Wednesday before a drying and warming trend moves in by Thursday or Friday. Until then, look for temperatures to remain well below normal, only in the low to mid teens, before rising towards the 20C mark by week's end.

There's snow in them thar hills..

Here's a webcam shot of Elkwater, Alberta this morning in the Cypress Hills Park area in the extreme southeast corner of the province. 30-40 cm of snow was reported on the Saskatchewan side of the Cypress Hills yesterday. Snow also fell yesterday in Dickinson, ND.. the first June snow in that city in 60 years. So as bad as it's been here in southern MB, it could be worse (maybe I shouldn't mention that snow is possible over the Riding Mtns of western MB Monday night into Tuesday morning!)

Coldest June morning in 120 years shatters Winnipeg record

It was a frosty start to the first weekend of June with a hard freeze reported across much of southern MB this morning. In Winnipeg, the temperature dropped to an incredible -4.6C at Winnipeg airport, easily smashing the previous record low for today's date of -1.7C set way back in 1888. In fact, the -4.6C reading is Winnipeg airport's coldest June temperature ever (previous record low -3.3C June 3 1964, records began 1938), and the second coldest June temperature in Winnipeg since records began in 1872, second only to the all time June low of -6.1C set June 1 1888. (Prior to 1938, Winnipeg weather records were taken from St John's college in downtown Winnipeg starting in 1872) Frost was reported across the city, with only the downtown core escaping the freeze with the Forks registering a low of +3C. Here in Charleswood, my site reported a low of -1.5C, the coldest June reading ever at my station.

Frigid Friday with frost tonight

An unseasonably cool airmass has pushed into southern Manitoba today with gusty northwest winds advecting Arctic air from the north. Morning temperatures in Winnipeg were a chilly +2C, feeling even colder with northerly winds of 30 to 50 km/h. Sunshine with will mix with clouds today but temperatures will struggle to hit double digits this afternoon. Normal highs for this time of year are 23C. Note that the cold winds coming off the lakes are even generating some lake effect showers mixed with snowflurries this morning off the south end of Lake Winnipeg through the Grand Beach to Beausejour areas as seen in the radar image to the left (snowflurries reported in the Tyndall area this morning!)

For tonight, a ridge of high pressure over southern SK will build into southern MB bringing clearing skies and light winds. This will bring a widespread freeze across southern MB tonight into early Saturday morning with temperatures dropping to the zero to -2C range. Cover or bring in those tender annuals! Saturday will be a little nicer than today with sunshine, light winds and temperatures near 15C.. still a good 8C below normal. Increasing clouds are expected by Sunday with a chance of showers Sunday night through Tuesday.

Rob's Obs conditions not updating

Issues with the Shaw webserver are preventing my website from showing current conditions from my weather station.  Shaw is looking at it, but so far, no luck in resolving the issue.   My weather station is still updating data onto the web, which can be accessed through Weather Underground.   

Cool week ahead - cold blast late week

The calendar has changed to June, but the cool weather will continue this week with no end in sight to the below normal weather pattern. Today will see sunshine giving way to scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms as a cold front approaches from the west. This front will bring in cooler air for Tuesday with highs only around 14C. This will lead to a potential for frost early Wednesday morning under clear skies and light winds. Wednesday looks like the nicest day of the week with sunshine and temperatures near 20C. Then things turn ugly for Thursday and Friday. Gusty northwest winds Thursday will usher an unseasonably cold airmass over southern MB with temperatures struggling to remain in double digits. In fact, the airmass will be cold enough to produce snowflurries over higher elevations Thursday night. Frost is a distinct possibility early Friday and Saturday, although cloud and wind may protect us from a widespread killing freeze. Nevertheless, this weather will test the patience of even the heartiest Manitobans who, after enduring 6 consecutive months of below normal temperatures, are wondering if and when the warm weather will ever arrive this year.