Icy roads, snowy conditions prompt school and bus cancellations in Manitoba

Highway 16 near Shoal Lake, Manitoba on Dec. 8, 2023 (source: Manitoba 511)

Icy roads and snowy weather in parts of Manitoba have prompted some school and bus cancellations on Friday.

The following schools and buses are cancelled for Dec. 8, 2023:

• Division Scolaire Franco Manitobaine: Écoles Jours de Plaine in Laurier, École La Source in Shilo and École Saint-Lazare are closed;
• Rolling River School Division : Buses are cancelled but schools remain open.

These cancellations come as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a snowfall warning for a number of Manitoba communities, including Brandon, Dauphin and Grand Rapids. 

According to the weather agency, a low-pressure system is bringing heavy snow to southwestern and central Manitoba, with snowfall totals expected to be between 10 and 15 cm.

Snowfall accumulations will vary as temperatures are near the freezing mark. Higher snowfall totals are expected in the Manitoba Parklands.

ECCC also warns that strong winds of 60 to 70 km/h will likely cause blowing snow.

The heavy snowfall will end on Friday afternoon. Cooler temperatures will follow in the wake of this low-pressure system.