Blizzard-like conditions, near impossible travel threatens the Prairies

Dangerous to near impossible travel is ahead for parts of the southern Prairies, as a potent spring snowstorm takes aim this week, bringing heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions.

Winter storm watches line both southern Saskatchewan and central Manitoba, with snowfall totals climbing towards 40 cm not out of the question for some communities. For the city of Brandon, Manitoba, this could be the biggest snowfall event this season if the region receives 24 cm of snow.

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"Avoid travel if possible," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the winter storm watch. "If you must travel, keep others informed of your schedule and destination and carry an emergency kit and mobile phone."

Snow associated with this potent Colorado low will arrive on Tuesday evening, picking up in intensity along with gusty winds through much of the day on Wednesday. This is when travel will be not advised, with near impossible conditions to deal with at times with zero visibility due to blowing and drifting snow.

"The most dangerous conditions for southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be through Wednesday when snowfall and wind gusts will be at peak intensity," warns Kelly Sonnenburg, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. "Snowfall rates of 1-3 cm/h will be possible, and locally even higher in convective bursts of snow."

Residents are being urged to prepare for road closures and possible power outages.

Between 20-30 cm of snow is expected in the hardest hit areas, along with wind gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. The strongest winds are expected to occur over the Manitoba parklands and extreme southeast Saskatchewan beginning Wednesday morning before gradually diminishing overnight.

The snow will continue through Thursday and into Friday morning as well, with snowfall tapering off to flurries as the system finally pulls off towards the east.

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Despite the looming threat of a wintry system this week, it doesn’t look like we'll see persistent extreme temperatures in either direction through the rest of April into early May. However, the western half of the country will likely tip toward the colder side of seasonal for the second half of April.

Thumbnail courtesy of Chris D/submitted.

Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates on the Prairies.