Blizzard warnings span southern Manitoba, travel not advised
Manitoba can’t seem to catch a break, with snowbanks mounting across province, causing headaches for drivers across major cities, including Winnipeg.
Parts of Winnipeg have received over 35 centimetres of snowfall so far – that’s more than double the average total snowfall for this month which is 15.1 centimetres.
And now, more is on the way.
Extreme cold warnings transitioned to blizzard warnings and blowing snow advisories for most of Manitoba Friday morning, with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) advising against any unnecessary travel Friday morning.
“Dangerous travel conditions expected for southern Manitoba Friday,” noted the agency in a tweet. “Expect periods of whiteout conditions in blowing snow, Friday morning. If you must travel, share your travel plan with a loved one & if you ever become stranded stay with your vehicle.”
TIMING
Conditions are expected to deteriorate starting early Friday morning as strong northwesterly winds gust as high as 80 km/h develop in the wake of the system.
“The onset of these winds will be abrupt, beginning in the pre-dawn hours in the southwest and shortly thereafter for the Red River Valley,” says ECCC in a blizzard warning. “Widespread very poor visibilities in blowing snow are expected for the remainder of the morning into the afternoon. Whiteout conditions will be possible at times.”
With only a centimetre or two of snow left to fall with this departing system, the big issue with this system is not necessarily the amount of snow falling, but the poor visibility the combination of the snow and wind will cause for motorists.
“Winds will gradually diminish through the afternoon with significant improvement for most communities by evening,” adds ECCC. “Areas near the international border may continue to see blowing snow and poor visibilities persist for a few hours more into the evening. Winds across southern Manitoba will diminish to light by midnight.”
Any unnecessary travel is not advised until the system has passed and crews have cleared major roadways.
The province gets a bit of a reprieve Friday evening into Saturday, but we're closely monitoring another clipper system that's set to bring a bout of 5-10 cm of snowfall Saturday through Sunday.
To report severe weather, send an email to MBstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #MBStorm.
