Motorists urged to avoid travel on parts of the Prairies amid blowing snow
Strong northwest winds will continue to produce areas of near-zero visibility over parts of the Prairies Tuesday. Some areas may see prolonged periods of blowing snow.
Travel remains hazardous across parts of the Prairies on Tuesday, as snow flurries and strong northwest winds with gusts up to 80 km/h have produced near-zero visibility at times.
A cold front slumping through the Prairies is contributing to bursts of snowfall and blustery winds. As the front continues to advance south, and the associated low tracks southeast, convective bursts of snow can be expected throughout the Prairies.
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"Some areas may see prolonged periods of blowing snow, while others will see very abrupt changes in visibility as bands of flurries move through," says Environment and Climate Change Canada in a blowing snow advisory issued across southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Those planning to travel across any of the major highways are urged to check the conditions before heading out as conditions may change rapidly while driving. On Tuesday, there were reports of road closures in Manitoba.
Conditions will improve by Tuesday evening in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, gradually improving in Manitoba's Red River Valley by Tuesday overnight.
Looking ahead, a clipper will bring snow from northern Alberta to southern Manitoba Friday night through Saturday. A couple more clippers will trek through early next week along the boundary between the mild Pacific air and Arctic air.
Well below seasonal temperatures are expected to continue through late week for the central and eastern Prairies as a cross-polar flow will deliver a couple rounds of Arctic air from Siberia. However, milder air will spread across southern Alberta during this time.
Beyond, milder weather slowly spreads east across southern Saskatchewan, but northern areas and southern Manitoba will remain colder than seasonal through the start of next week. Mild Pacific air will take over the pattern next week.
Watch the video above to get the full forecast details on the Prairies this week.
Thumbnail courtesy of Priscilla Kerr/Twitter, taken in Winnipeg, Man., on March 8, 2022.