Glad to not be out this weekend...

[Mihun09]

This is the first long weekend of the year in what should be nice tripping weather for us. Most of the area's we paddle are ice free now although the top end of Lake Winnipeg is still iced in. Over the years we have our first weekend trip on this, the Victoria Day weekend. In 2009 we got 11" of snow on the Friday and headed up Saturday instead to still find a fair amount of snow in the bush and we put up with sleet and wind and cool temperatures. The following couple of years it was nice for the first trip of the year. The past 3 years have been wash outs for various reason, 3 years ago it was so dry there was a back country travel restriction already in place. Two years ago everything was still frozen. Last year Christine was still in initial heart attack recovery. This year we had other things to do and have nothing planned until July, and honestly it is a good thing with what is coming starting later today.

I certainly hope anyone from around here that is out has access to a weather radio...

4:53 AM CDT Saturday 16 May 2015
Weather warning in effect for:

• City of Winnipeg

A low pressure system moving across Dakotas will bring rain into southern Manitoba beginning later today. The main area of rain will arrive tonight and continue during Sunday. 50 to 70 mm (2-3") of rain is expected over southern Manitoba. The rain will begin to change into freezing rain and later into snow over southwestern Manitoba Sunday morning. 10 to 15 cm (4-6")of snow is expected from the Brandon and Dauphin regions across the Arborg region into the Berens River region by Sunday night. Strong north winds 60 km/h gusting to 80 km/h (40-50mph) are expected on Sunday. Rain should change into wet snow in southeastern Manitoba Sunday evening. Weather conditions will begin to improve Monday morning.

 

[Robin]

Weather conditions will begin to improve Monday morning.

You now what they say, what comes after two days of crappy weather?

Monday!

 

[Rippy]

Wow that's a crappy forecast! Better baton down the hatches before the wind hits. Stay warm and dry.

 

[Mihun09]

Monday is a holiday after all. At least I needn't drive to work in it.

 

[Holmes375]

That system rolled across Wyoming yesterday. Most impressive thunder & lightning show followed with a short spell of hail. Spooky lookin' skies. A small tornado touched down a hundred miles or so southeast of my location and tore up a couple buildings. Springtime in the Rockies

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Our long weekend plans have been gradually downgraded from a three day trip to a day out on Monday to staying indoors and watching canoe movies. On the plus side we did get some seeds planted so if all goes to plan we should have food next winter.

 

[ppine]

Wet weather recently has been a blessing in the West. We rain in the forecast for 10 straight days. The mountains are white around the valley in all directions. There were 18 inches of snow at Mammoth last week and 10 inches this week. We are taking the trailer out to camp in the rain for 4 days because it is such a novelty.

 

[Mihun09]

This must be what a tropical storm is like, excepting for the plunging temperature. Sustained 40mph wind with gusting into the 50's. Not a good day to be on the water or in a tent.

We in Manitoba are all about sharing as well, so Red Lake has a Winter Storm warning, and Freezing Rain warning for G'Town now.

 

[red langford]

Feel bad if there is anybody out in the park today. Been raining hard and sideways all day as the temperature has been falling. Then the weather people (and I use that term loosely) issued this....

Hazardous winter conditions are expected. As temperatures fall to below or near freezing late this afternoon and evening, rain and showers are expected change over to freezing rain then to ice pellets and snow overnight. Current indications suggest there will be several hours of freezing rain followed by 10 to 15 cm of ice pellets and snow tonight and Monday morning. In addition, strong and gusty northerly winds could reduce visibilities to near zero in blowing snow in exposed areas tonight and Monday morning. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.


If tomorrow was a school day it would be a snow day for sure.

 

[clemency]

Wow. Nasty. Definitely not good for anyone out in the boonies.

 

[Iskweo]

No Title

HA!! Talk is cheap....I have pictures. It's not pleasant and I can verify that it was cold nasty and freezing rain when I took these. Welcome to Manitoba.

 

[Mihun09]

It is over for our part of the world, still windy as all heck but supposed to clear later and warm up a bit so most of this might melt by the end of the day and surely be gone mid week. Plenty of power failures, trees down, roads iced and closed in places. The biggest issue could be agriculture. With extended warm dry weather the past month or so most farmers around us have planted. The field behind us and many I pass on my commute the plants are up a few inches and exposed to all this. There was anything from 2-4 inches of rain before the ice and snow started, so anything lost with this storm could take awhile to replant. Unless they used inbred zombie seeds designed to withstand freak snowstorms and freezing temperatures we could see some major initial losses.

Overnight tonight we will see -6C but by Friday daytime high of +22C. We just hope this was the last blast of Winter and thankful our seeds weren't up yet nor had we planted the seedlings we have littering the bathroom.

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Much less white stuff here. Hope to get out for a trip next weekend.

 

[southcove]

We traveled over the weekend to southern NY state. It was in the low 80's F and humid. I was prepared with my canvas wall tent and stove, just in case! (actually was hoping MIL would offer to sew in some velcro strips around the door and stove jack).

 

[Odyssey]

When I was a kid we called this past long weekend firecracker day. What could be more important to a ten year old than goofing off with stink bombs and fire crackers? Years later we renamed it May 2-4. Perhaps it had as much to do with the size of our cases of beer as the date. This particular weekend is perhaps most well known amongst some as the opening weekend of Walleye (Pickerel) fishing season. However it has always been properly named Victoria Day, named in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. How convenient that her birthday falls at a time when winter recedes and spring beckons. There's plenty of celebrating to do for any age. My wife and I, along with our son and his SO certainly did this weekend. In place of fireworks and stink bombs, we lit citronella candles to ward off the early season black flies, and burned evening fires to ward off the cool nights. Instead of guzzling cases of beer we sipped glasses of Irish Whiskey, and rather than starting the fishing season with fervour, we started the paddling season with languid relaxation. My eldest son and I went for a day paddle. We hadn't paddled together in nearly 20 years. It was high time we did. We decided we ought to start a new May tradition...camping in springtime. Thank goodness Queen Vic wasn't born in February!

 

[ppine]

I am happy to be out in any weather this time of year. The wet reduces the amount of people out there by a lot. It helps the fishing and it is much easier to see the wildlife especially when it is foggy in the morning.

I have lived in some places with challenging climates like around Seattle and SE Wyoming. I have never understood people that live someplace really wet, that complain about the weather and cancel trips all the time. If you don't like the climate move, or get used to it. When I moved to Nevada it snowed on Memorial Day. I thought it was a fluke until it happened two years in a row.