File photo of moose in a Saskatchewan field. (BobLoblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie forecast: Spring battle between warm and cold continues

Forecast issued March 19, covering March 19 to 26, 2025

For this forecast period the weather models are showing a fairly quiet weather pattern will only a couple of chances of light snow as weak systems track along the boundary between the cold Arctic air to our north and milder air to the south. This is the big question mark for this forecast period: just where will this boundary be?

Spring runoff on April 27, 2022 at the Pembina Escarpment near Miami, Man., about 40 km northwest of Winkler. (Manitoba Co-operator/Allan Dawson video screengrab)

Prairie forecast: Dreaded Colorado low on the radar

Forecast issued March 12, covering March 12 to 19, 2025

As I mentioned in last weeks weather article, March and April can see some of the biggest snowstorms of the year. While I don't think this one will be one for the record books, there's the potential for some wintery weather across the Prairies between now and the end of the weekend.


Photo: Thinkstock

Prairie forecast: Very mild west, slowly warming east

Forecast issued March 5, covering March 5 to 12, 2025

As we ease into what can be the stormiest and snowiest time of the year on the Prairies, the big question is—are we going to see a late winter snowstorm? Well, I can say that we won’t. What I can say is the odds are low in this forecast period.




Photo: Vadimgouida/iStock/Getty Images

Prairie forecast: Cold snap coming to an end

Forecast issued February 19, covering Feb. 19 to 26, 2025

For this forecast period, as predicted a week ago, we're finally going to see an end to this long cold snap. The polar vortex is weakening and is forecasted to move off to the east. This will allow for a strong push of mild Pacific air to flood across the Prairies. It should bring temperatures above freezing to Alberta beginning early in the forecast period. Near to above freezing temperatures should move into Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the weekend.


Photo: Alexis Stockford

Prairie forecast: Cold high pressure to dominate

Forecast issued February 12, covering Feb. 12 to 19, 2025

Unfortunately, it looks like the cold weather will stick around for at least this forecast period. Maybe a little bit longer. There are some signs of this pattern breaking down near the end of the month, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Tim French/iStock/Getty Images

Prairie forecast: Midwinter cold settles in

Forecast issued February 5, covering Feb. 5 to Feb. 12, 2025

We start this forecast period off with plenty of cold air in place, which is a 180-degree change from a week ago. Saskatchewan and Manitoba will also have to deal with a disturbance on Wednesday and Thursday that may bring upwards of 15 cm of fluffy snow.


Photo: Geralyn Wichers

Prairie forecast: Weekend low to bring snow to swaths of the Prairies

Forecast issued January 29, covering Jan. 29 to Feb. 5, 2025

We start this forecast period off with plenty of warm air in place across much of the Prairies. We continue to see areas of low pressure dropping southeastward from the western territories into northwestern Ontario with high pressure still in place across the northwestern U.S. and southwestern Canada.

Photo: Zbynek Pospisil/iStock/Getty Images

Prairie forecast: Warm west, cooler east

This forecast period starts with the last of the bitterly cold air departing Manitoba thanks to a weak area of low pressure that moved through on Wednesday. This low, combined with an area of high pressure building over the northwestern U.S., helped to pull mild air in off the Pacific and push it eastwards across the Prairies.