Dry weather over next week to give ideal snow melt conditions..

A blocking ridge of high pressure over the Prairies will maintain generally sunny and dry weather over the next week over southern MB.. giving ideal slow snow melt conditions over the Red River valley. Strong late March sunshine and afternoon temperatures near freezing will contribute to a slow snowmelt during the day, while well below freezing temperatures at night will prevent a more rapid melt. No major precipitation events are expected over the next week over southern MB, although models show the potential for some precipitation over the central US Plains with some stronger storms systems. Latest guidance is hinting for some unsettled weather moving into southern Manitoba the first few days of April. Until then, the weather is looking very favourable over southern MB. This is good news in light of the 20-40 mm of precipitation that fell in the Red River basin south of Grand Forks earlier this week. Updated flood outlooks from Grand Forks and Manitoba indicate an increased threat of major flooding over the Red River valley on par or worse than the flood of 2009, especially in the southern RRV of North Dakota.