National pattern change has Canada's weather flip-flopping | #weatheram

Added: 2026-05-13

[00:00:02]All right. Yes, the national pattern change coming this week. It is Tuesday, May 11th. You're watching the Weather Network. I'm meteorologist Chris Murphy along with meteorologist Naen Powell who always brings the sunshine. And you look a little bit like the sun today.

[00:00:14]>> Well, you know, I'm trying to force it because it's been a little bit cool across Eastern Canada. The summer weather, it's been out west. Still into the 20s for us. Lots of sunshine for us for today, but we do have some big changes on the way.

[00:00:27]>> All right, so this is that national pattern change. We look to the upper levels, big ridge across the west. This has kept things warm and dry. And of course, we know the fire situation getting a little more dire in parts of the west. Now, that cool trough has been hovering over the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence. But as we get into the weekend, look at that. The unofficial kickoff of summer may finally bring some more seasonal warmth to say Cottage Country, southern Ontario, and Quebec this weekend.

[00:00:52]>> Yeah. So, that pattern has certainly flipped by the time we head into Saturday. We've got single digits now for us in through Alberta with rain showers. But now that warmth is moving into the Great Lakes and southern Quebec, seasonably warm into the 20s for us.

[00:01:05]>> All right, we know that in May we can get anything including snow. And same story at the end of April as well going back to central Alberta. And how about the higher elevations in the uh you know the mountains and metro Vancouver? Looks like we're going to get into more snow across the west. But first Naen, today is pretty quiet. Maybe some popup showers, isolated thunderstorms in the south coast today. But tomorrow, that's a little more substantial rain in places like Cam Loops and Colona.

[00:01:33]>> Much needed rainfall cuz like you mentioned, it's been very dry. We've had fires ongoing, skipping across into the prairies, Saskatchewan, Manitoba. You see that rainfall, heavier times across the south, especially. And now we're getting into the blues on the backside.

[00:01:46]Freezing levels dropping down below uh 2,000 meters, maybe even about 1,200 meters or so in the coming days. That means there'll be some snow for the Northshore mountains, but the rain, you're likely going to get more rain Wednesday and Thursday in Cam Loops than you've had so far all of this year. So, this is some needed rainfall to be sure.

[00:02:05]And there is also going to be some snow in those lower elevations. And of course, we know that the winter tires are off, the chains are off the tires, and that means this could be some slick driving conditions. Let's go to Wednesday and still do compare and contrast. In Alberta, >> we're sweating in Medicine hat. We've got the risk for storms there. 29°.

[00:02:23]We're still into the 20s for us all the way into Manitoba. But now on the backside, here comes the cold weather.

[00:02:29]Here comes the snow into the foothills for us as those freezing levels drop down.

[00:02:33]>> All right. And hopefully we'll get some of that rain around the White Court area because of the fire there. All right.

[00:02:37]Let's go. This was earlier in the season when we had the flooding in mind, Ontario. Remember that it's a state of emergency was declared. Well, we do have some more rain headed your way, but we don't have any more snow to melt. the ground can now absorb the rain and that's going to be there with you. By way of comparison, western Newfoundland, snow tonight and tomorrow morning and then you'll get a break after that.

[00:03:00]>> Yeah. So, in terms of the rainfall we are expecting through Ontario, Quebec, you can see about 5 to 15 across the Toronto area, maybe as much as 30 millimeters through parts of central Ontario for us. And in terms of that snowfall, you see western Newf Finland up into Labrador, coast of Labrador picking up that snowfall, >> 10 to 20 cm of snow in the higher elevations. But there's a look at Sunday really starting to warm up across many parts of central and eastern Canada. So Naen, places that have been missing the warmth are going to get it and places that need the rain are going to get that, too.