Significant Blizzard Takes Aim at Manitoba Starting Saturday Night With Up 40cm of Snow Possible
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As we step into March, Manitoba prepares for a significant winter storm, marking a dramatic start to Meteorological Spring. This weekend, a powerful system will sweep across the Prairies, reaching Southern Manitoba by Saturday afternoon and intensifying through the night into Sunday.
This storm is set to blanket Southern Manitoba with 20-30cm of snow, with some regions bracing for as much as 30-40cm by Monday evening. However, Southeast Manitoba will face a unique challenge as mixed precipitation and rain, driven by a warm front, are anticipated to reduce overall snowfall totals in this area.
The storm's onset in Manitoba will be characterized by light snow beginning Saturday afternoon, and intensifying into early Sunday morning. As the storm's core advances across the Saskatchewan border, Southern Manitoba will be enveloped by heavy, wet snow. This will result in widespread snowfall accumulations of 20-30cm across a broad expanse of the province. Locations such as Russell, Dauphin, Neepawa, and Virden, extending across Lake Manitoba into the West Interlake Region could see up to 40cm of snow.
With wind gusts nearing 80 km/h, blizzard conditions are a significant concern throughout Sunday, making travel perilous and visibility severely reduced. Environment Canada has issued a blizzard warning for much of Western Manitoba. The relentless snowfall is expected to persist into Monday morning before gradually tapering off by the evening.
In contrast, Southeast Manitoba, including the Eastman Region, the Red River Valley, and Winnipeg, will experience a mix of precipitation types due to the storm's warm front. This warmer air from the south will initially bring light snow, followed by a combination of ice pellets, freezing rain, and rain by Sunday afternoon, complicating conditions further.
Although snowfall accumulations will be modest here, the mix of precipitation types will nonetheless create challenging and messy conditions. As the storm progresses northeastward, a brief return to snow is forecasted for late Sunday into the overnight hours.
