Manitoba

Up to 15 centimetres of fluffy snow set to blanket southern Manitoba

A snowfall warning is in effect for southern Manitoba today, while northern parts of the province are under an extreme cold warning.

Northern parts of province under extreme cold warning for Sunday

You may need one of these this weekend if you live in southern Manitoba, according to Environment Canada. (Travis Golby/CBC)

A snowfall warning is in effect for southern Manitoba today, while northern parts of the province are under an extreme cold warning.

Southern areas of the province should expect snowfall amounts between 10 to 15 centimetres, with higher amounts for communities closer to the U.S. border.

"The snow will be very light and fluffy so visibility will be poor in blowing snow Monday morning," said CBC meteorologist John Sauder. "It's more about the blowing snow than it is about the snowfall amounts. 

"The system clears gradually Monday but winds stay fairly strong through the day so blowing snow will make driving in open areas a challenge through most of the day," he said, warning people to stay off highways if they can. 

Snowfall amounts will be highest closer to the U.S. border, he said. 

The snowfall warning is in effect for the southernmost parts of the province, while an extreme cold warning is in effect for the northernmost parts of Manitoba. (Submitted by Environment Canada )

More powder is good news for Manitoba snowmobilers like SouthEast Sno-Riders president Mitch Gobeil. He says their trails need more snow to stay in good condition. 

Asked if the snow will make sledders happy, he said, "Oh yes it will. It will. I mean, if we had more we'd be better, but 10-15 centimetres would still be fantastic," he said. 

He admits that not everyone agrees with his position on snow. Friends who aren't waiting for the white stuff give "just a little bit of needling every now and again, but that goes with the territory," he said. 

This system will complete its snow dump by Monday, but Sauder warns there will be another five centimetres coming Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the northernmost areas of Manitoba will continue to experience extreme wind chill values, making it feel like –45 to –50 C Sunday.

The cold snap will then spread throughout the province, Sauder says. It won't be as cold as last week, but highs all week will be in the –20s. The normal low for this time of year is –21 C and the normal high is –10 C. 

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