WINNIPEG – WEATHER – Winnipeg and southern Manitoba are under a Special Weather Statement. As first reported on Saturday, heavy snow which will add to the flood risk is forecast. Southern Manitoba is under a flood warning.
Heavy snow, strong winds and blowing snow for southern Manitoba is forecast beginning late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.
The cause is a Colorado low that will move towards Minnesota on Tuesday night bringing a heavy swath of snow from southeastern Saskatchewan through most of southern Manitoba.
The axis of heaviest snow looks to remain through North Dakota but large accumulations are still expected in southern Manitoba, notably near the international border.
Storm-total snowfall accumulations near the US border may approach 60 cm. North of this region, general storm-total accumulations of 20 to 40+ cm are possible, including for the City of Winnipeg.
As the low moves towards eastern Minnesota on Wednesday, strong northerly winds will develop over the region. Winds of 60 to 70 km/h are likely, with the strongest winds being in the Red River Valley with gusts up to 80 km/h at times Wednesday night into Thursday.
These strong winds, combined with the heavy snow, will produce widespread reductions in visibility. Blowing snow is possible Wednesday but is more likely Wednesday night through Thursday as temperatures cool somewhat. These conditions will likely result in a deterioration of travel conditions.
Conditions should begin to improve by Friday as the winds taper off and the heaviest snow moves into northern Ontario.
Confidence regarding the track of this Colorado low is slowly improving but remains uncertain. Deviation in the track could lead to significant changes in the projected storm-total accumulations, precipitation type (rain/snow/ice pellets) and wind speeds over the region.