Environment Canada is calling for a full week of warmer than normal temperatures for Steinbach and area, beginning tomorrow.

For many weeks now it seems like southern Manitoba has alternated between extreme cold and blustery weather. Some days have seen a combination of the two. But, this week seems to be a different story.

According to their seven-day outlook, Environment Canada is calling for daytime highs ranging from +1 on Thursday and Friday, to as warm as five degrees on Wednesday. The normal high for this time of year is zero. Meteorologist Natalie Hasell reminds us that even a day when it is only sunny and +1 can do a lot more to melt the snow in March than it can in January.

But, according to Hasell, we probably will not get through the week without seeing some precipitation. She says right now it looks like Steinbach will see rain on Tuesday, continuing into Wednesday. There is also a chance of some scattered showers for Thursday. In total, she says it is doubtful that even 10 millimetres of rain will those three days in Steinbach.

However, she stresses that there is certainly the chance of freezing rain this week. But, according to Hasell, freezing rain is also possible when the temperature is considerably lower, such as in the -10 to -12 range. This happens when the cold air layer that the drops of rain fall through, are not thick enough and as a result, the rain does not have a chance to freeze on its way down. As a result, you get freezing rain.

For those who are tired of all the wind we have experienced in recent weeks, Hasell says we should be feeling a reprieve these next few days. That is because there does not seem to be enough strength in these low-pressure systems to generate very strong winds.