Severe weather closes Manitoba highways, schools; major delays at airport

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This article was published 12/01/2017 (3203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeggers bundled up and hunkered down to endure another blast of winter as blizzard conditions roared through southern areas of the province Thursday.

Environment Canada, which issued blizzard and extreme cold warnings for Winnipeg and the surrounding area, said a prolonged period of extreme wind chills — in the -40 C to -45 C range — is expected as a fast-moving cold front moves across southern Manitoba.

Blowing snow will reduce visibilities to less than a kilometre in open areas and temperatures will drop to -30 C or colder behind the front with extreme wind chills Thursday evening.

There are major delays and some flight cancellations at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Winnipeg Airports Authority spokesman Tyler MacAfee said runways are in good shape, but high winds are the problem.

“The big challenge… is the visibility,” he said. “Along with the blowing snow comes a challenge to our de-icing facility. Spraying the planes down with winds this high is tricky so that’s been taking longer.”

There may be more cancellations the longer the conditions last, he said. All travellers should check with their airlines or go to www.waa.ca and give themselves plenty of time to get to their airport. 

Police and highways officials advised Manitobans to avoid unnecessary travel, since many roads and highways are in poor conditions. The RCMP said more than 30 collisions had been reported by 9 a.m.

The City of Winnipeg is planning spot plowing Thursday to clear areas prone to drifting. Crews will continue to apply sand on streets in slippery areas. 

When the wind dies down, the city is planning a full, citywide sidewalk-clearing operation.

As of mid-afternoon, several major highways remained closed, including:

• The Trans-Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie.
• CentrePort Canada Way from Highway 101 to the city limits.
• Highway 59 from Highway 44 to Victoria Beach.

Some highways previously closed reopened as conditions began to improve, including:

• The Trans-Canada from from Portage la Prairie to Highway 34 at Austin.
• Highway 16 from the Trans-Canada to Highway 352 west of Gladstone.
• Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the U.S.
• Highway 9 from Winnipeg city limits to Winnipeg Beach.

 

The city halted garbage collection Thursday for safety reasons.

“Full garbage trucks are unable to safely offload at the Brady Road Resource Management Facility in reduced visibility,” a media release stated.

The Brady Road landfill and Brady 4R Winnipeg Depot are both temporarily closed until visibility improves.

Residents whose regular pickup was Wednesday and still had not been collected by 4 p.m. Thursday should call 311.

And in areas where garbage is picked up on Thursday, the city is asking residents to leave carts out until 10 p.m. If it hasn’t been picked up by then, carts should be out again by 7 a.m. Friday.

Recycling collection is expected to be slower than normal.

Several school divisions cancelled classes Thursday and buses were not running in many areas in the south part of the province.

Funerals at the Brookside Cemetery were conducted and the administration office was open. Others were advised to  postpone visits to Brookside, Transcona or St. Vital cemeteries due to drifting snow. 

Winnipeg Transit has been experiencing minor delays. Anyone planning to travel by bus should check Transit schedules before leaving and plan for extra travel time. City officials also advised that Handi Transit clients should cancel any non-essential trips. Call 204-986-5711 to make changes.

Canada Post advised there would be no mail delivery in rural areas Thursday. 

And anyone considering a visit to the Assiniboine Park Zoo was out of luck; the facility was closed.