Environment Canada is calling for another soggy weekend in southern Manitoba. Meteorologist Sara Hoffman explains there is a low-pressure system moving up from the United States, though she stresses this is not a traditional Colorado Low.

According to Hoffman, the rain could start as early as Friday evening in Steinbach. Right now, Environment Canada is forecasting a 60 per cent chance of rain late Friday for The Automobile City. Saturday and Sunday will also be wet, but Hoffman says that because of embedded thunderstorms in this system, it is tricky to predict just how much rain will fall.

Hoffman says right now they are calling for about 10 to 20 millimetres on Saturday, though amounts could be higher where there is thunderstorm activity. On Sunday, amounts could vary between five and 25 millimetres.

"It's a really tricky one because it's tough to know what those thunderstorms are going to do," notes Hoffman.

But, that is not it for the rain. Hoffman says Monday and Tuesday also look to be wet before the system moves out.

Even though we are now in the season for severe weather, Hoffman says it does not appear there will be a high risk of severe thunderstorms with this system. However, she notes every thunderstorm has lightning and every thunderstorm has the possibility of wind gusts to 80 kilometres per hour with pea-sized hail. And, she says if you can hear thunder, that means you are within striking distance of lightning.

Hoffman says on the other side of this system we should experience some drier, cooler weather. The normal high for this time of year is 23 degrees and though we are expected to surpass that high the next few days, Hoffman says by mid-next week we can expect daytime highs of only 15 degrees.

Meanwhile, if you are planning on planting your garden or putting out your plants prior to the weekend rain, it looks like history should be on your side. Hoffman says traditionally, incidents of frost become much less after the May long weekend. Currently, the coolest overnight low over the next seven days is on Thursday, when the mercury is expected to drop to 5 degrees.