Cleaning up with more to come

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/12/2016 (2845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a winter wonderland out there. Or, without the rose-coloured glasses, it’s a major winter storm out there.

As you’ve noticed if you looked out your window, significant snow has fallen throughout Winnipeg and across southern Manitoba, and that snow is being blown about and drifting in north winds of 50 km/h gusting to 70 km/h.

Natalie Hasell, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said it will be difficult to measure with certainty how much snow actually ends up on the ground but 20 to 30 cm of snow is expected to accumulate in Winnipeg and surrounding area.

“You’ll have snow drifts in some places where the snow is being plastered into a building but then on the other side of the street where the snow was taken from, you probably won’t have very much,” she said. “Whatever measurement we get will be skewed by this wind.”

Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning and says these conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday.

On roadways, visibilities are greatly reduced and on highways, near zero at times.  Motorists are advised to drive with extreme caution and not to drive on highways unless absolutely necessary. There are numerous highway closures affecting major highways including the TransCanada and Highway 75.

“Just stay home,” advised Hasell. “If you don’t absolutely have to go, stay home.”

She said the storm started in Winnipeg at about 2:30 a.m. 

“Another five to 10 cm (snow) is expected tonight, mostly tapering off by tonight. But there’s a 60 per cent chance of snow in the forecast for tomorrow and the winds will still be strong. So whatever snow has fallen will still be picked up by it, so these blowing snow, possibly even blizzard-like conditions, are certainly expected to continue into tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Handi Transit is advising its customers to cancel any non-essential trips for Tuesday by calling 204-986-5711. 

Canada Post has issued a mail delivery alert, noting that mail delivery may be impeded by the weather Tuesday.

The Trans-Canada highway is closed between Headingley and Brandon. Other highway closures include Highway 2 from Highway 100 to Elm Creek and from Souris to Highway 18, Highway 3 from Highway 100 to Morden and Highway 13 from Highway 1 to Carman. For the latest highway conditions visit Manitoba 511.

Many school divisions cancelled classes Tuesday: 

• In Winnipeg, the Seven Oaks School Division is not running buses outside the Perimeter Tuesday. Those buses operating in the city may be running late.
• The Seine River School Division has closed schools.
• In the Lord Selkirk School Division, all schools are closed and no buses are running. Staff is not expected to report to their place of work.
• All schools in Hanover School Division are closed to students and staff. Teachers are reassigned to work at home for the day.
• The Prairie Rose School Division has closed schools and has instructed all students and staff are to remain home.
• In the Pine Creek School Division, all schools closed, no buses running, and staff is re-assigned to work from home.
• The Red River Valley School Division has closed all schools.
• All schools in Border Land School Division are closed.
• The Interlake School Division has closed its schools and there are no buses running.
• The Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine (DSFM) has closed rural schools except Thompson.
• Red River College has closed the Interlake and Peguis-Fisher River campuses. All other campuses currently remain open with regular scheduled classes.

Hasell said when the snow eases up late Wednesday or early Thursday, the lack of cloud cover will cause the temperature to drop. On Friday, the high will be -18.

“It’s already happening. If you look at the forecast for tonight, we’re looking at -7, for tomorrow -11,” she said. “With the clear skies, which allow the heat from the surface of the planet to escape into space, there’s no cloud to re-radiate heat and the temperatures can drop quite substanially and we see that (by the weekend).”

Get out your extension cords and make sure the block heaters on your vehicles are working: Lows in the -22 C to -26 C range are in the forecast for the weekend.

Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight. 

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca