Staying mild until Christmas.. then pattern change to colder weather

Today may be the official start of winter, but the unseasonably mild weather of the past two weeks is forecast to continue for the the next few days with temperatures some 10-20C above normal for late December.  Highs today and Monday will be near or slightly above freezing with nighttime lows only around -2C, well above normal highs of -11C and lows of -22C for this time of year.  The weather will continue to be generally cloudy and dull with a chance of freezing drizzle or light flurries from time to time today into Monday. A storm system tracking into the Dakotas Monday into Tuesday will bring some light snow across the Red River valley and SE Manitoba, with a couple cm possible, especially south and east of Winnipeg. Cloudy and slight cooler conditions are expected behind this system for Wednesday into Thursday (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) although temperatures will continue above normal, with highs near -5C. A storm system tracking though the Dakotas Thursday night into Boxing Day may bring a round of snow to southern Manitoba, but the main story with this system will be the colder air that will follow in its wake. Temperatures are expected to drop to normal or below normal values for Boxing Day and the weekend into next week, with temperatures in the minus 20s and possibly minus 30s again.

Major warm-up expected across Prairies, much of North America next week..

6-10 day outlook valid Dec 10-14
showing massive warmup over
central North America (CPC)

For those already tired of the mid winter-like cold that has gripped southern MB and the Prairies much of the past 3 weeks, some good news is on the way. A major shift in the weather pattern next week is expected to bring a prolonged period of above normal temperatures across much of the southern Prairies and central North America through next week. We'll get a taste of the milder weather on Sunday as a weather system tracks across southern Manitoba bringing a southerly flow of milder air across the south, with temperatures likely climbing towards the freezing mark in Winnipeg and slightly above freezing over parts of western MB. We'll get into some briefly colder air on Monday behind this system, but the colder weather will be short lived as a massive influx of Pacific air spreads over the Prairies beginning Tuesday. This flow of warmer Pacific air will overspread southern Manitoba by mid to late week, sending temperatures in Winnipeg and the RRV above freezing from at least Thursday into Saturday. In fact, some downslope areas from Dauphin through McCreary to Portage La Prairie, Morden and Winkler may see temperatures of +7-10C by Friday.  That will result in considerable melting of the meager snowpack across southern Manitoba.. with areas of  bare ground likely re-appearing by the end of the week in parts of the RRV and SW Manitoba. So put away the block heater cords for awhile and stock up on the washer fluid.. warmer weather is on the way!