Some Manitobans wake up to snow-covered lawns on 1st day of fall
Overnight lows may have caused some patches of snow in southern half of province, Environment Canada says
Winter is coming.
Some residents of southern Manitoba woke up to a sheet of white snow on their lawns on Saturday, the day of the autumn equinox.
It appears to be the result of a low-pressure system pushing mainly rain activity across the southern half of the province, said Environment Canada meteorologist David Baggaley.
CBC meteorologist John Sauder said Friday that there was a chance some of the province could see "a few wet snowflakes mixed with showers during the early hours on Saturday."
"We are certainly at that 'anything can happen' time of year," he said.
While the weather agency hasn't seen any reports of heavy snow in the province, it is possible that overnight lows that dropped below the freezing mark caused some light snow in certain areas, Baggaley said.
Shel Zolkewich lives in Meleb, in Manitoba's Interlake region, about 20 kilometres south of Arborg. She posted a photo of the snow-covered ground in her area.
She said she's never seen snow this early where she lives.
"If this was a month from now I wouldn't be terribly surprised. But this was certainly a bit of a surprise to wake up to," she said.
Sauder said the rest of Saturday will be cloudy and cool, leading up to the autumn equinox Saturday evening at 8:54 p.m. CT.
There is also a chance of flurries in Churchill, Man., this morning, with conditions clearing by the early evening according to Environment Canada.