Environment Canada issued blowing snow and windchill warnings for much of the southern half of the province on Saturday. This comes on the heels of a storm that dumped between 10 and 15 centimetres of snow will fall on Winnipeg.
The wind chill will make temperatures feel in the -40 to -45 range at times Saturday night and Sunday morning. The thick snow and winds between 30 and 50 km/h, and in some places gusting to 70 km/h, are making driving conditions hazardous.
Winnipeg weather conditions
In Winnipeg, around 300 snow plow and sanding crews were out clearing major routes since Saturday morning, a city spokesperson said.
Streets that have been cleared include the Perimeter Highway, Portage Avenue, Bishop Grandin Boulevard, Lagimodiere Boulevard, Kentason Boulevard, McPhiliips Street.
An Emterra recycling truck remained stuck in a south St. Vital snow drift for several hours Saturday morning. Neighbours say the snow frequently piles up in that corner.
"I'd say it got up to probably about close to four feet in some areas. It drifted pretty high," said Colin Halliday.
At one point the driver of the recycling truck even helped push another vehicle that got stuck in the same spot.
There will be no residential clearing at this time, a city spokesperson said.
Many drivers grew frustrated with the poor conditions. "Not good, very slow. Visibility's not good,” said Greg Birnie.“You really got to take your time. If we didn't have to be here, I wouldn't be, but we have to."
CAA drivers were busy all day long, but despite how busy it is, one driver said wait times haven't been too bad - about 60 to 90 minutes for a tow.
Len Hew, unable to navigate the turn at the end of his lane, decided to call it a day after being towed from a snow drift.
"I have to turn and then go back to the garage,” he said. “This is a bad day to go out. So cold and so much snow, you know?"
Several city cemeteries are closed, including Brookside, St. Vital and Transcona.
Outside Winnipeg
The RCMP issued a warning that poor conditions make it difficult for emergency vehicles to respond to accidents on the highways. They specifically warn anyone driving in the areas of PTH 1 from Headingley to Elie, PTH 1 from Carberry to Souris, PTH 10, PTH 5, PTH 100, PTH 101, PR 250, and PR 340 to use caution.
Poor visibility was blamed for at least one crash when a van drove into the back of an RCMP vehicle on Highway 7.
The province’s highway traffic conditions website showed many of the main roads to the north and east of Winnipeg are covered with blowing and drifting snow, which is also impairing visibility. Most of the highways to the south and west of Winnipeg are at least partly covered in snow, and again, visibility is poor.
Conditions are similar in the south west part of the province. Environment Canada issued blowing snow and wind chill warnings for Brandon. Riding Mountain National Park issued a warning that Highway 10 and Highway 19 within the park are treacherous to drive on, and drivers assume full responsibility for their safety when traveling on them.
The snow and wind should end by Saturday evening, but the cold weather will hang around for most of next week. On the bright side, the sun will shine on Winnipeg for much of next week, with skies remaining clear until after New Year’s.
- With a report by Ben Miljure
