Low pressure system bringing messy roadways to the Prairies
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, March 5, 2014, 8:07 PM -
It would be tough for many Prairie residents to believe that spring is only days away.
On Wednesday, Environment Canada issued snowfall warnings for parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Freezing rain warnings are also in effect for southern Saskatchewan.
The conditions created a tricky Wednesday evening commute for some communities, with limited visibility reported in Swift Current, Atla.
In southern Manitoba, snow squalls have deteriorated roadways.
2014 SPRING OUTLOOK: Any hope for spring? More details on the months ahead.
The heaviest snow is expected Thursday morning in southern Alberta, including the city of Calgary, and southern Manitoba.
Motorists are being warned to leave extra time during the Thursday morning commute.
"Manitoba may see periods of freezing rain and ice pellets develop during this time frame," Vaswani adds.
Temperatures took a dip across the region this weekend and a round of snow resulted in numerous collisions on the roads Wednesday morning.
In Winnipeg, MB, city streets have been filled with ice -- the combined result of water main breaks and frosty weather.
WARMER WEATHER ON THE WAY
"Milder air is on the way with these systems bringing snow, so that it will not be as frigid across the Prairies Wednesday and Thursday," Vaswani says.
"It will be warmer still for the weekend especially in Alberta where Chinook winds will bring temps into the double digits starting on Saturday for some."
The city of Calgary, for example, will see a day time high of -13°C on Thursday and by Saturday, the city can expect temperatures to rise to 10 degrees Celcius.