Wintry cocktail could mean 5-10+ cm of snow in parts of Manitoba, NW Ontario

An ugly mess of weather is on the way for portions of Manitoba and northern Ontario as we head into the weekend, all thanks to a powerful Colorado low lifting north.

A widespread swath of heavy snow, rain and windy conditions are expected for southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario through Saturday as the system tracks to Hudson Bay. Gusty winds exceeding 70 km/h are possible, and when paired with wintry precipitation, travel disruptions are likely.

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A band of 5-10+cm of snowfall is forecast, but the exact location is highly uncertain at this time due to the ultimate track of the storm. Regardless of where it ends up, travel will be highly impacted by the wintry mess.

Friday night and Saturday: Messy storm to bring snow, heavy rain and strong winds

A large Colorado low will track northward into southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, with messy weather expected to start as early as Friday evening.

A clash of warm and cold air is expected, bringing a cocktail of precipitation both regions.

A band of heavy snow 5-10+cm is forecast, but the exact location is highly uncertain at this time Models range from eastern Manitoba to across northwestern Ontario.

Whoever sees this persistent snowfall will have higher travel impacts.

A wintry mix will divide the heavy snow and rainfall. There will be a risk of a period of freezing rain from southern Manitoba through to northern Ontario, but nothing prolonged or extreme is forecast.

Meanwhile, rainfall is expected for Thunder Bay, while snow is expected for Kenora and regions northwest of the storm track.

Gusty winds will also be a factor through the event, potentially exceeding 70 km/h, making travel quite difficult throughout the storm.

Conditions will rapidly improve early Sunday as the low lifts towards Hudson Bay

The uncertainty is very high for precipitation timing and type, as these details are dependent on nailing down an exact storm track.

Confidence remains low on snowfall amounts projected across southern Manitoba.

Stay with The Weather Network for your latest forecast across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.