More highways reopen, several remain closed amid southern Manitoba blizzard warnings
Extreme cold warnings in some northern regions, bitter temperatures expected through most of the weekend
Several highways remained closed Friday afternoon after blizzard warnings were issued for parts of the south, while frigid temperatures grip some areas in northern Manitoba.
Blizzard warnings are in effect in south-central Manitoba, including areas near the Canada-U.S. border where a group of protesters were demonstrating Thursday against pandemic restrictions and a federal vaccine mandate for truckers.
Environment Canada said highway conditions are expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility.
Drivers should slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop. If you get stranded, stay in your vehicle until conditions improve, Environment Canada says.
Blizzard warnings are in effect for the following places:
- Steinbach, St. Adolphe, Emerson, Vita and Richer.
- Morden, Winkler, Altona and Morris.
Conditions are expected to improve through the day, but the following highways remain closed:
- Highway 3, from Sperling to North Junction Highway 34.
- Highway 8, from Winnipeg city limits to Highway 67.
- Highway 13, from Elm Creek to Carman.
- Highway 15, from Winnipeg city limits to Anola.
- Highway 23, from Highway 34 to Highway 75.
- Highway 100 (south Perimeter), from Highway 1 East to Highway 1 West.
- Highway 101 (north Perimeter), from Highway 1 West to Highway 1 East.
Highway 75 was closed but reopened from Winnipeg to the U.S. border shortly before 8:30 a.m.
Highway 6, from Ashern to St. Laurent, has also reopened, as has Highway 325, which was previously closed from Highway 6 to Highway 68. Highway 417 has reopened as well from Highway 6 west.
Highway 1, from Highway 207 to Highway 11, and Highway 2, from Starbuck to St. Claude, both reopened around noon, as did Highway 12 from Highway 1 to North Junction Highway 203.
Highway 14, from Highway 3 to Highway 75, and Highway 52, from Mitchell to La Broquerie, also reopened around the same time.
Blowing snow
Wind gusts in the 60 to 80 km/h range, paired with blowing snow, led to blowing snow advisories in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas in the morning.
Blowing snow advisories that had been in effect earlier Friday for Portage la Prairie, Headingley, Brunkild, Carman and Winnipeg were lifted before 11 a.m.
Advisories for Selkirk, Gimli, Stonewall, Woodlands, Dugald, Beausejour and Grand Beach were ended before 9 a.m.
Environment Canada expected strong winds to diminish through the day.
The agency also forecast below-seasonal temperatures to persist in parts of southern Manitoba into next week.
Cold warnings
Environment Canada also kept extreme cold warnings in place Friday in northern Manitoba, then extended them eastward and into the Interlake and central parts of the province.
By early afternoon as conditions improved, most of those warnings had been lifted, including in Churchill, Grand Rapids, Waterhen, Norway House, Cross Lake, Wabowden and York.
Warnings remained in place for Tadoule Lake and Brochet, where temperatures were expected to drop close to –40 C along with wind gusts of 10 to 20 kilometres an hour that could produce wind chills in the –45 to –55 range.
Environment Canada says bitterly cold temperatures are expected through most of the weekend in the northernmost regions.
Extreme cold conditions bring an elevated risk of frostbite and hypothermia, the weather agency warns.
Cold-related symptoms include muscle pain and weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, and numbness and discolouration in the fingers and toes.