Major storm expected in southern Manitoba

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This article was published 05/12/2016 (2979 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The relatively mild weather has probably made you smile this fall, heading into winter.

Well, strap in. The winter blast is coming this week and that smile may just freeze on your face.

Environment Canada says a “major winter storm is expected” and will start developing later Monday with 15-30 cm of snow and gusty north winds coming our way Monday through Wednesday. After that, the deep freeze will set in with wind chills in the -30 C to -35 C range by the weekend.

There is a winter storm warning for the city of Winnipeg and across the province, extending north to Riding Mountain National Park, west to Virden and east to the Whiteshell Provincial Park. In all, Environment Canada has issued winter storm warning for 15 of its weather station areas.

“We already have a lot of precipitation in southwestern Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba. We do have that possibility of having flurries during the day today (Monday) in Winnipeg but the real snow, the accumulating snow, the stuff that is going to be a problem, is more likely starting tonight (Monday night),” Natalie Hasell, an Environment Canada meteorologist, said Monday.

Significant snow and blowing snow are expected for southwestern Manitoba, beginning Monday morning and lasting through mid-week. There is some uncertainty as to the exact timing of the heaviest snow and strongest winds, but there is potential for sustained blizzard conditions over parts of the warned areas.

Hasell said this type of weather is not unusual for December. What was unusual was the mild conditions through November.

“There were comparisons all through November of the storm in 1986, the storm in ’93 and on and on. So having storms at this time of year is perfectly normal,” she said.

Environment Canada says the coming weather will be the result of a low-pressure system moving eastward along the international border in Saskatchewan that will rapidly intensify as it tracks into Manitoba on Monday morning.

Heavy snow will develop and continue through Wednesday. Total amounts of 15 to 30 cm is expected over the area affected by the warning, with the highest amounts most likely over southwestern Manitoba.

On Monday night and early Tuesday, northernly winds are expected to be gusting to 50 or 60 km/h. Visibilities will be significantly reduced due to blowing snow for most of Tuesday and into Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the snow and wind is expected to gradually ease but then bitterly cold arctic air is will sweep in with lows of below -20 C expected and wind chill values in the range of -30 C to -35 C by the end of the week.

“If we look at a low-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere, always in the wake of that low-pressure system you have a cold frontal passage. So, it’s going to be a bit of a shock,” Hasell said. “It could be well below normal temperatures by the end of this week starting on Thursday.”

She said the overnight temperatures will be -18 C Thursday and -23 C Friday and that’s not counting the wind, that’s just the temperature,” Hasell said. “If we still have very strong winds and clear skies, we could see wind chills that are quite a bit colder. Colder than normal and colder that what we’ve had. And wind chill always makes things colder so it will feel that much harsher since we’ve been basking in very warm temperatures.”

People are advised to postpone non-essential travel until conditions improve.

Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.

Environment Canada issues winter storm warnings when multiple types of severe winter weather are expected to occur together.