The long weekend forecast for Steinbach calls for temperatures well below normal.

But, Natalie Hasell with Environment Canada says you might make it through the entire weekend without needing a shovel. And, when was the last time you could say that?

Through the first 14 days of February, Steinbach received about 36 centimetres of snow. That is nearly three times the amount of snow southern Manitoba normally sees for the entire month of February. In an average February, the southern portion of the province will get about 13 centimetres.

Hasell says we are under the influence of a ridge. She points out that normally we do not have cloudy conditions under ridges, but when there is cloud cover, it usually is not thick enough to make a difference. Hasell says if it does snow this weekend, there probably will not be significant accumulations.

Daytime highs are expected to be between -14 and -20 degrees this weekend, while overnight lows could dip between -20 and -29 degrees.

Meanwhile, Hasell says even though we have received a lot of snow this month, that will not necessarily translate into a lot of water come spring. She says when it is colder, as has been the case in February, you tend to get snow that is more fluffy. And while the rule of thumb is a snow to water ratio of 10:1, Hasell says some snow events this month have been more like 30:1.