Massive snowfall dumped up to 45 cm in some parts of Manitoba

Manitobans were hit with a wallop of a spring snow storm Tuesday, with some regions seeing as much as 45 cm of the white stuff.

Dauphin may be called The Sunshine City, but since Tuesday, they had 20 to 30 cm of snow dumped on them. McCreary saw 25 to 35 cm and Plumas took top spot with 35 to 45 cm of the white stuff.

Outside of Dauphin, cars were abandoned in ditches and dangerous driving conditions north of the Trans Canada Highway Tuesday. Whiteout conditions shut down parts of Highway 5.

“As soon as you get out of any town where there's no traffic, you've got just pure ice across the highways,” said Kyle Bodnarchuk Tuesday.

Bodnarchuk works for CN Rail and was on his way to an area of tracks washed out by flooding. He said spring weather's no longer the problem.

“Twenty minutes and four-wheel drive and I had to turn around even, it was crazy out,” he said.

Bodnarchuk decided to stay off the highways for the day.

- With a report by Alesia Fieldberg

• 

  Forecasters are predicting as much as 25 cm of snow will fall on parts of Manitoba, including Dauphin, today. (Courtesy of Maja - last name withheld upon request)