Winnipeggers slip and slide on sidewalks after freezing rain
Freezing drizzle advisories for Manitoba have been lifted, but it made for slippery road and sidewalk conditions into the evening Wednesday.
Winnipeg was covered in a layer of slick and sticky ice after 13 straight hours of freezing drizzle during the day.
Manitoba Public Insurance said around 300 collisions were reported Wednesday. While MPI officials said that number isn’t necessarily high in itself, they confirmed that many of the collisions were related to icy conditions of roads.
Several people CBC spoke with said the sidewalks were the slipperiest they’d seen this winter.
"Very treacherous,” said Bill McKewan. “I've walked from the Palamino down to Portage Place and I've almost wiped out probably 10 or 15 times."
Domini Pool had a similar experience to McKewan.
"Just very nerve-wracking,” said McKewan. “I have to keep my eyes on the ground at all times, make sure I don’t accidentally step the wrong way."
Lisa Webb said the sidewalks made her think of another time when conditions were almost as bad.
"I've fallen in the past and I broke a couple of ribs and it was not a very fun experience," said Webb.
Temperatures are expected to drop overnight Wednesday. As a result, Winnipeggers should expect similarly slippery conditions Thursday morning.