It’s beginning to look a lot like... we’ll be receiving a lot of snow over the next few days. A Snowfall Warning has been issued for all of southwestern Manitoba ahead of a significant low pressure system expected to bring, potentially, the largest dump of snow so far this season.

“A Colorado Low tracking across the Dakotas and Minnesota Sunday and Monday will be responsible for the expected 15 to 20cms,” explained CMOS Accredited Weathercaster Chris Sumner Sunday morning. “Currently, it’s looking like all areas within the Snowfall Warning will receive somewhere between 15 and 20cm by the time this system has moved out of our area. The snow will taper off west to east, with the flakes expected to stop falling by lunch Monday in the southwestern corner of the province, and late in the afternoon in the Red River Valley and Southeastern regions.”

According to Environment Canada,  heavy snow will begin today in Saskatchewan and spread eastward into Manitoba this evening. The heaviest snow will be this afternoon and evening in Saskatchewan, and overnight into Monday morning in Manitoba.

“This will definitely be a fire up the snowblower event once the flaky white stuff stops falling late Monday afternoon,” said Sumner. “The other factor to keep in mind with this system, is relatively strong winds will develop, leading to the likelihood of blowing snow and reduced visibility, at times. The type of snow expected to fall is light and fluffy, meaning it will will be much more prone to blowing once the wind picks up, compared to the heavier and wetter snow we've seen so far this season.”

The wind will pick up out of the northeast Sunday afternoon at 20 to 40 km/h, shifting slightly to the northwest overnight and into Monday, with gusts of 50 to 60 km/h.

“In the aftermath of this system, we will see a bitterly cold arctic air-mass arrive in our region,” added Sumner. “As the cold front passes through Monday, temperatures will fall throughout the day from around -8 to -10 to -18 to -24 by dinner Monday night. That will make the start of an extended deep freeze for the province, with highs of only -25 to -29 for the remainder of the week, and overnight lows well into the -30s.”

Sumner stressed Extreme Wind Chill Warnings are likely Tuesday night through New Year’s Day as the dangerously cold air-mass dominates the weather picture for the next week.

And the snow coming Boxing Day and Monday isn’t the only snowfall expected this week.

“A second system moving northward out of the U.S. toward northwestern Ontario is expected to bring up to another 5cms of snow Tuesday evening into Wednesday,” said Sumner. “We had a white Christmas across Southern Manitoba, and by the time New Year’s Eve arrives Friday night, it’s likely most areas will have received a total of 15 to 20cms combined from these two systems.”