A senior Climatologist with Environment Canada says there is a significant weather event headed our way this weekend.

David Phillips notes it is a very slow moving system born on the Pacific and containing a lot of moisture. Phillips says the system is still about two days away from reaching us and so there is a lot of uncertainty concerning the timing and magnitude. But Phillips says it will probably land on Sunday.

The system will make its way across the prairies. As of late Thursday morning, there were no storm warnings for Saskatchewan, but Phillips hints that could change before day's end.

When it reaches southern Manitoba, it is expected to start as rain falling on Sunday, turning to snow and lasting into Monday. Phillips refers to it as "rescue moisture" for our part of the country.

"I think this is good news," says Phillips. "It's like white gold for ranchers and farmers."

Phillips says often this sort of system brings wind and colder temperatures. The combination of mild air colliding with cold air could create a lot of wind, which Phillips says might cause whiteout conditions with blowing and drifting snow. Then, in the wake of this system, a plunge of cold air is expected. But because it is already March, the cold air won't be as extreme. Phillips says the daytime high on Tuesday is only supposed to be a few degrees below normal at -7 degrees.

Phillips says the system headed our way is neither an Alberta Clipper nor a Colorado Low.