We start this forecast period with an area of low-pressure sliding southeastwards through the southern Northwest Territories and into northern Manitoba. This low is pulling mild air northwards, which means a continuation of mild temperatures in Alberta, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba are seeing a rapid rebound from the cold start to the week.

Prairie forecast: Mild start replaced by Arctic high pressure
Forecast issued January 15, covering Jan. 15 to 22, 2025

Prairie forecast: Battle between warm and cold
Forecast issued January 8, covering January 8 to 15, 2025
For this forecast period, the weather models have been bouncing back and forth between a return to cold weather after a brief mid-week warmup or a return to the mild weather pattern we saw during much of December. The models have been slowly converging towards the milder solutions, but at this point confidence in the second half of this forecast period is low.

Prairie forecast: Colder weather moving in with the New Year
Forecast issued Dec. 31, covering Dec. 31 to January 8, 2025
For this forecast period, it looks like the quiet weather pattern will continue as the weather models are not showing any big storm systems impacting the Prairies. We should continue our slow cooldown with temperatures during most of this forecast period looking to be near to below average.

Prairie forecast: Mild, quiet holidays expected
Forecast issued Dec. 24, covering Dec. 24 to Dec. 31, 2024
The weather for this forecast period will be largely controlled by a large, stationary area of low pressure in the Gulf of Alaska. This has been sending wave after wave over energy into coastal B.C. This will result in a predominately west to southwesterly flow across the Prairies—meaning a continuation of mild temperatures as Pacific air dominates.

Prairie forecast: Cold start, but then turning mild
Forecast issued Dec. 18, covering Dec. 18 to 25, 2024
To start this forecast period, we have a strong area of Arctic high pressure dropping southeastwards behind the area of low pressure that hit the eastern Prairies earlier in the week. This high will bring a quick shot of cold weather to Saskatchewan and Manitoba from Wednesday to Friday.

Prairie forecast: Cold start for the east, overall warm, dry expected
Forecast issued Dec. 11, 2024, covering Dec. 11 – Dec. 18, 2024
To start this forecast period, the strong area of low pressure that tracked through the eastern Prairies is now over Hudson Bay. The rotation around this low is opening the door for a strong, very cold Arctic high to build southwards into the eastern Prairies. This looks to bring some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter to eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. The good news is that it doesn't look like the cold air will stick around long.

Prairie forecast: Short cold snap, then warmer
Forecast issued Nov. 27, covering Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2024
For this forecast period, it looks like some of the coldest air of the season is on its way to Saskatchewan while most of Alberta and Manitoba appear to miss the really cold stuff. The weather models are not showing any strong storm systems impacting the region but there a few weak systems that may bring a light shot of snow here and there.

Prairie forecast: Winter settles in
Forecast issued Nov. 20, covering Nov. 20 to 27, 2024
You might be happy to know (or maybe not) that for this forecast period we should see a quieter but colder weather pattern across the Prairies. Arctic high pressure will be pulled southwards behind the eastern Prairie low and brings the first really taste of winter.

Prairie forecast: Mild weather returns
Forecast issued Nov. 6, covering Nov. 6 to 13, 2024
The weather models are showing an area of low pressure tracking across northern Canada on Wednesday and Thursday. This, combined with a digging trough of low pressure off the West Coast, will open the door for mild air to flood across the Prairies—first from the Pacific then from the western U.S.

Prairie forecast: Warmer weather to continue
Forecast issued Oct. 30, covering Oct. 30 to Nov. 6, 2024
For this forecast period, as we work into what's often the first month of winter across the Prairies, it looks like the current warmer and drier-than-average pattern of the last two months will continue. Now, to be fair, we need to realize that we are transitioning into winter. Average temperatures are cooling, so though the forecasting is calling for above-average temperatures, those temperatures are getting cooler and cooler.