Winter making a grand entrance in Manitoba: Environment Canada

After an unseasonably warm winter in Manitoba, snow and cold are finally entering the conversation and making a rather grand entrance.

Colder temperatures and bigger snowfalls are on the way for this week, according to Environment Canada.

“That Alberta clipper is going to be drawing in a pretty significant arctic air mass that’s going to be dropping our temperatures over the region into – we’re looking at highs around the mid minus 20s and potentially some lows in the mid minus 30s,” said Meteorologist, Rose Carlsen.

Carlsen says the first significant cold snap of the season will likely bring in temperatures we’re more used to seeing in Winnipeg during the coming weeks.

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The snow may start to accumulate in the southern part of the province, so experts advise people to check the forecast regularly.

“You get kind of complacent with an earlier, milder winter, and some people will be caught off guard by the return to a more Winnipeg-like winter. So it’s really important to keep in mind how you might be affected by any snowfall that’s coming up, any cold weather,” said Carlsen.

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Cold temperatures are known to wreak havoc on people’s vehicles and CAA recommends making sure the battery is in working order before you head out, among other things.

“An emergency kit is super important, we always recommend you have one in the back of your car, and that has things like some tea lights and some matches, some non-perishable food items, some water,” said Nadia Matos from CAA.

Additionally, Matos advises driving according to the potentially hazardous road conditions.

“‘So, the weather can change frequently, and we could be dealing with some freezing rain, and then we could be dealing with some snow which covers up black ice, and all that kind of stuff, so our best recommendation is to just to really take it back a notch, slow down, and just be fully present and put away distractions,” she said.

The city has also begun the necessary preparation steps for the cold snap afoot, according to the city’s post on X (formerly Twitter) crews have already begun salting.

—With files from Global’s Katherine Dornian