Residents in the Rural Municipality of Taché, Manitoba, can expect melting snow instead of a deep freeze this weekend after Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) updated its forecast for Saturday, February 7, 2026. Earlier model runs and forecasts had suggested temperatures could plunge to around −17°C, but ECCC’s revised forecast issued Feb. 3, 2026, now shows a daytime high near 2°C for the area.
That sudden shift means roads are likely to be slushy rather than icy, creating messy travel conditions for local minor‑hockey families heading to events at the Lorette Community Complex and the Landmark Arena. The RM of Taché’s Public Works office says thaw events present drainage challenges — water can pool on gravel roads while the ground remains frozen — and notes that it takes staff roughly 18 hours to open all municipal roads after an average snowstorm and that culvert maintenance is a regular winter task.
Local officials are watching for drainage blockages: ice‑clogged culverts can cause localized flooding if meltwater has nowhere to go. The so‑called “false spring” also raises the risk of black ice overnight when daytime melt refreezes. Those risks are addressed in RM of Taché drainage policies and development rules designed to protect rural roads and infrastructure.
The warmer forecast follows a broader pattern of volatile winter weather across the province. A CBC News winter outlook warned of a snowier, more variable winter for parts of Manitoba, and earlier reporting in late January described an Arctic air mass that had been expected to bring an extreme cold sweep to the Prairies before the recent forecast revision.
