A low-pressure system is expected to move into southern Manitoba on Monday and Tuesday, bringing rain and snow with it.

We could get a significant amount of precipitation, especially for the Red River Valley eastward to the Ontario border, and that has prompted Environment Canada to issue a Special Weather Statement.

It will be windy today with temperatures reaching around six degrees. The wind will pick up as the day progresses, and tonight’s low is +2C.

As the system moves eastward, precipitation will begin as rain but will change over to snow from west to east. The timing of this rain-to-snow changeover is highly uncertain, so rainfall and snowfall amounts are also highly uncertain. What is more certain is that 15 to 25 mm of liquid is likely to fall over the Red River Valley and points east.

Current indications are that areas near and east of Winnipeg will receive 5-10 mm of rain and 10-15 cm of snow, while points west of the city will receive lesser amounts of both.

Retired meteorologist Rob Paola says that while Winnipeg was on track to have one of the snowiest winters on record, things had slowed through the month of March. As of March 14 he has recorded 166.6cm of snow. "That's fifth-most through mid-March, but we'll need another 18 cm to finish as a top 10 snowy winter for the season," he writes on Twitter.

Depending on what happens, this low-pressure system could be what pushes the region over the edge.


Precipitation is expected to move out of the region Tuesday evening, Environment Canada says. Spring officially arrives on Sunday at 10:33 a.m. CDT. The equinox marks the precise moment the sun's rays shine directly on the Earth's equator.