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Winter is returning with a vengeance across half of Manitoba with as much as 50 centimetres of snow possible by the end of the weekend in some places.
Nearly the entirety of the province north of the big lakes is under some kind of alert from Environment Canada, whether it be a freezing rain warning, a winter storm watch, or a snowfall warning.
A mix of precipitation is expected to move into central regions of the province beginning Wednesday evening and spread northeast through Thursday.
Areas from The Pas east to the Ontario border will first experience rain or freezing rain — which could be heavy at times and cause ice build-up — before it transitions into snow.
The freezing rain warning could be upgraded to a winter storm warning if radar suggests heavy snow is developing in the wake of the rain on Thursday.
In that case, prolonged utility outages are likely and travel will be hazardous, with some routes probably impassable, the weather agency says.
Significant snowfall will lead to poor travel conditions Thursday and Friday for much of northern Manitoba. The south is likely to get scattered showers or thunderstorms later in the week.
Further north, the snowfall is expected to be much heavier, beginning Thursday and lasting into Saturday.
It should start around Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon before broadening into the rest of the northern region, stopping just shy the the Hudson Bay coast and Churchill.
Total snowfall in those areas is expected to be 30-50 cm, Environment Canada says.
Northeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h are also in the forecast, causing reduced visibility in the blowing snow.
Utility outages are likely in those areas, too.
Meanwhile, spring has jumped right into summer in the southern part of the province.
Sunshine and highs of 17 C (Brandon) to of 22 C (Winnipeg) are expected Wednesday. The intensity of the sun is also spiking with a UV index of six.
The index is a scale (0 to 11+) that measures ultraviolet radiation, indicating the risk of sun damage to skin and eyes. A level six is considered high, and people are encouraged to protect themselves with hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, and to limit midday exposure.
Thursday’s forecast calls for highs of 18-22 C in Brandon and Winnipeg, respectively with another UV index of six.
The normal daytime high for this time of year is 13 C.
There is a chance of rain or risk of a thunderstorm late Wednesday and also Thursday afternoon. Even in cool or slightly cloudy weather, the UV can still get through, Environment Canada says.
Temperatures closer to normal, or slightly below, are expected for the weekend and into the beginning of next week.