Overland flood warning issued for parts of southern Manitoba

Winnipeg -

A forecasted influx of rain and snow has prompted the province to issue an overland flood warning for parts of southern Manitoba.

The province’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre issued the warning for southern Manitoba from the Saskatchewan border east to Provincial Trunk Highway 12 and from the United States Border north to Provincial Trunk Highway 1.

It said the warning could also extend north of PTH 1 between PTH 5 and 17 and north of PTH 1 between Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.

The centre noted these areas could get more than 50 millimetres of precipitation - a mix of rain and snow- and some localized areas could get up to 80 millimetres by midday Monday.

The province said some ditches and waterways are still covered in ice and snow limiting water flows. High amounts of rainfall in a short time could cause overland flooding, it said, adding Manitobans should be aware of the possibility of a sudden rise in water levels in affected areas.

The centre said weather models do not fully agree on the exact location, amount or timing of the system. However, it said confidence is high that most central and southern Manitoba basins, including the U.S. portions of the Red, Souris, Pembina and Roseau river basins, could receive 40 to 50 millimetres of precipitation, and 80 millimetres in localized areas.

The province said the system is expected to be accompanied by strong winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour.

Additionally, daily average temperatures are expected to stay above zero until early next week for most parts of southern and central Manitoba. These values paired with possible precipitation could create runoff in the coming days, and southern and central Manitoba basin levels could start to rise.

However, peak flows on the Red and Assiniboine rivers are not expected to arrive until late April to early May, the province said.