Portage weather expected to remain unsettled

If you were caught dodging downpours or peeking out the window at grey skies Friday morning, you're not alone. Much of southern Manitoba, including Portage la Prairie, woke up to bouts of heavy rain, flashes of lightning, and a lingering smoky haze. According to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor, it’s all part of an unsettled weather pattern that's expected to stick around for another day.

“This morning's rain was from some elevated convection that drifted up from North Dakota overnight,” Proctor explains. “We’ll see that surface-based convection pick up again this afternoon and continue into the evening hours."

While Friday’s forecast carried the brunt of the action, Proctor says residents should still keep their umbrellas handy heading into the weekend.

“Saturday still holds a chance of showers, though the probability of thunderstorms drops compared to today. Things should begin to dry out ever so slightly for Sunday, when we’re expecting a mix of sun and cloud, with temperatures just below seasonal," he notes.

Looking further ahead, a clearer and warmer stretch appears to be on the horizon.

“There is potential for more organized showers on Monday and into Monday night. After that, the Ridge starts to rebound, and there should be a stretch of generally sunny skies," he adds.

While the forecast may be trending brighter, there's another issue hanging in the air.

“We’ve had a lot of smoke drift down from central and northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and that’s complicating things, especially for people with respiratory issues. We’re under an air quality warning right now, and while there might be a brief improvement on Sunday, we’re likely to see some smoke linger through the weekend and into Monday," he says.

Fortunately, Portage should avoid the worst of the weekend’s thunderstorm activity.

“The potential for more severe storms looks to be isolated to the southeast tip of the province for the rest of today and tomorrow, so we might just miss the worst of it.”

Residents are encouraged to monitor local weather alerts, particularly the ongoing air quality advisory, and to take extra precautions if sensitive to smoke. That could mean limiting outdoor activity or staying indoors with filtered air when possible.

In the meantime, Portagers may want to keep their rain gear within reach and take it easy outdoors until skies clear. With brighter, sunnier days on the horizon, it looks like relief is just around the corner. We just have to weather the weekend first.

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