Environment Canada says major blizzards could hit Manitoba, possibly the worst in decades

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Environment Canada warns that a major spring hurricane could hit Winnipeg and the rest south of Manitoba, potentially making it the worst winter storm in decades. The storm is expected to strike Tuesday night.

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Snowfall amounts of 30-50 cm are expected, with northerly winds gusting 70 to 90 km/h. This will cause snow drifting and visibility problems.

Sara Hoffman from Environment Canada says this is a good opportunity to ensure you have enough water, nonperishable food, and batteries in case you are without power or water for 72 hour. This is the magic number for emergency preparedness. She stated that it’s better to be safe rather than sorry.

Hoffman stated that I’m not saying that the system will cause this event. But, I think this is a good moment to say, “Wait a minute, this should be done anyways.” It’s a good moment to activate the thought processes necessary to put this in place.

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Public Safety Canada encourages everyone make an emergency plan. Also, get an emergency kit that includes drinking water, food, and a flashlight. For more information about emergency kits and plans, visit http://www.getprepared.gc.ca.

This storm will be historic in historical context. It is a good idea to stop and think about whether I have all the supplies and emergency kits that I will need for future events, as well as this one.

A Colorado low is expected move towards Minnesota Tuesday night, bringing heavy snowfall from most of southern Manitoba to southeastern Saskatchewan. The snow is expected begin Tuesday evening near Canada’s International border and then move northward through the night.

Hoffman said that it looks like there will be heavy accumulations within 24 hours. For example, we forecast Winnipeg to receive 15 to 25 cm of snow from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. That’s just for one 24-hour period. We expect this system to continue through Friday.

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Power outages are likely, especially in rural areas, because of the high winds and heavy blowing white snow.

Johanu Botha from Manitobas Emergency Management Organization said that the province works closely to Manitoba Hydro when planning for such an event.

Botha stated that while we always hope for the best things, we also plan for the worst.

We know that power outages can cause chaos in communities and cities, so we will need to prioritize resources to ensure they do not disrupt the operations of these communities. Hydro is aware of the possibility of a storm like this.

Heavy snow will fall in large parts of the region by Wednesday morning as the storm continues to push northward. Snow accompanied with strong northerly wind is expected to continue right through Friday morning, as the low slowly turns through Minnesota to reach northwestern Ontario. On Friday morning, snowfall accumulations of 30-50 cm are possible. There is also the possibility of accumulations up to 80 cm in higher terrain features like the Red River Valley’s western escarpment, the Riding Mountains and the Turtle Mountains.

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Environment Canada warns that Wednesday’s weather will make travel more difficult. Travel within communities could become impossible by Wednesday evening as heavy snow and strong winds continue. More of the same is expected Thursday.

Hoffman advised that you should not travel from Tuesday night to Friday morning of this week. Avoid travel, or make it earlier or later to avoid weather-related impacts.

The weather should improve by Friday as the winds slow down and the heaviest snow moves to northern Ontario. However, the cleanup after this storm will likely continue well into next week.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority advises that home care services for community health services may be disrupted by stormy weather in the coming days.

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