Man., Ont., Atlantic Canada storm will have three different outcomes; B.C., Prairies warm up

Canada welcomes April with multiple spring storms expected to bring snow, rain and thunderstorms in at least five provinces.

A Colorado low storm system that is "brewing" with snow in South and North Dakota is expected to reach Canada Tuesday evening, impacting communities from Manitoba to P.E.I.

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Spring may have begun in Canada, but a seasonal forecast from the Weather Network noted "fickle" April often brings multiple storms.

Instead of warming up after winter, many Canadians are experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures at the beginning of April.

SNOW

Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning to communities south of Winnipeg along the North Dakota border. The government agency is warning people heavy snow will begin Tuesday afternoon with an anticipated 15 to 25 centimetres of snow expected overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning.

"Storm total accumulations will decrease to the west and northwest, with the Red River Valley seeing 10 to 15 cm of snow and western Manitoba looking at a 5 to 10 cm storm total," according to the warning from Environment Canada.

As of Tuesday morning, communities in Manitoba including Brandon, Neepawa and Ashern are under a winter storm watch.

The Colorado low will travel across the province Tuesday evening into northern Ontario with strong wind gusts of 70 kilometres an hour overnight Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning, communities including Thunder Bay, Nipigon and Sioux Lookout in northern Ontario are under a winter storm warning as the impending Colorado low approaches.

Environment Canada is expecting snow and ice pellet accumulations of 15 to 25 centimetres, with a peak snowfall rate of 2 to 4 centimetres per hour.

"The heaviest snow is expected this evening for areas near the Minnesota border and the Lakehead area," the warning from Environment Canada reads. "Regions north of Lake Superior will see the heaviest snow before dawn Wednesday."

FREEZING RAIN

The storm passing through Ontario changes pace across the province with communities including Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and towards Ottawa expecting freezing rain, not snow.

Environment Canada issued the warning with 5 millimetres expected for areas close to Lake Superior, and 10 to 20 millimetres expected further east in the Ottawa Valley and into Quebec.

"After midnight (Tuesday) the risk for freezing rain moves in as we see warm air right in the middle of the atmosphere with colder above," CTV's chief meteorologist Kelsey McEwen said.

As of Tuesday, only parts of southern Quebec near Montreal are under a freezing rain warning, but the storm will continue eastward into the Atlantic provinces, McEwen said.

"It's a very quiet forecast with sun peeking out to rural parts of New Brunswick," McEwen said. "Wednesday starts off quiet, but by afternoon we're into that snow- freezing rain and then eventually rain taking us on Thursday."

RAIN

In southern Ontario Tuesday morning, the storm system is bringing heavy rain prompting Environment Canada to issue a special weather statement.

Communities from Sarnia to Brantford in southwest Ontario are expecting 20 to 40 millimetres of rain with the potential of more than 50 millimetres.

"Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible, particularly in regions affected by heavy rainfall," the Environment Canada website reads.

McEwen said the Colorado low is bringing heavy rain to the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara Falls region overnight to Wednesday morning.

WARM-UP

British Columbia is starting to see higher temperatures as a separate storm heads out of the province which dropped 15 to 25 centimetres of snow on the Coquihalla Highway.

Warm air from the Pacific moves into Vancouver towards Kamloops, where McEwen says double-digit temperatures could be seen over the next few days.

The warmer weather will "creep" into Alberta — lifting the fog advisory in Calgary on Tuesday — and Saskatchewan.