Reprieve from rain expected this weekend before next system rolls in

A meteorologist with Environment Canada says after a couple of days of wet weather, the majority of this weekend should actually be dry.

According to Manitoba Agriculture, the city of Steinbach has received about 10.6 millimetres of rain since Thursday morning. So far, the hardest hit area of the province has been Ethelbert with about 34 millimetres. 

Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says the system that has been dropping the rain will slowly move out of the region on Saturday. But between now and then, expect more rain.

Hasell says their forecast calls for showers over the next 24 hours. But, with the risk of a thunderstorm Friday afternoon, just how much rain we get remains to be seen. Hasell says where there are no thunderstorms, residents of southern Manitoba can expect another five to 10 millimetres of rain. In areas where the thunderstorms hit, Hasell says rainfall amounts could be in the 20 to 25 millimetre range. 

"I think the most extreme amount would be slightly higher than that," says Hasell. "But we still don't have a lot of agreement between models."

Environment Canada is calling for the showers to end Friday night and for the sky to clear sometime on Saturday. Sunday is expected to be Sunny.

With a high of 13 degrees on Saturday, the temperature will be about four degrees below normal. By Sunday we should be back above normal, with a high of 19 degrees. Overnight temperatures this weekend will be below normal.

If you were hoping for a long stretch of dry weather after Friday night, guess again. Hasell says the next system bringing rain should arrive from the U.S. on Monday. She notes it appears southern Manitoba will see shower activity on and off from Monday through Wednesday. There is also a chance of thunderstorms embedded in that system. 

Hasell says it is after Wednesday, that the certainty of the forecast begins to wane. She notes Environment Canada has a forecast that looks at a multitude of models, with some of them suggesting we could see a few more days of showers before mid-month. 

"But there's not a lot of agreement," she admits. "I would say it's definitely possible, it's this time of year, that makes sense. But I don't have any big signals that all of the models are agreeing on."

Having said that, Hasell notes the wet weather is probably making a lot of people very happy. And, she says more rain next week is also probably not a bad thing.