May surprise: wintery conditions blast central Canada

May 1, 2011 – MANITOBA – It may be spring, but it appears winter isn’t finished with the Prairies just yet as a blizzard threatens to dump between 10 and 50 centimeters of snow on parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Winter storm and snowfall warnings were in effect Saturday for southeastern Saskatchewan, as well as much of western and central Manitoba, as a late-season storm system over North Dakota moved into the region. Environment Canada warned of a combination of strong northerly winds gusting up to 90 kilometers per hour and falling snow “producing blizzard conditions over much of southeastern Saskatchewan…Travel is not advised over much of the area and residents should adjust travel plans accordingly. In addition the combination of heavy snow and high winds are producing power outages in some areas.” According to the agency, between 10 and 20 centimeters of snow may fall in some areas, with as much as 30 cm forecasted at higher elevations, before the storm moves out of the region Saturday evening. Temperatures are expected to remain below normal for the remainder of the weekend. In Yorkton, for example, temperatures dipped to -4 Celsius, or -14 C with the wind-chill. A normal temperature for this time of year is 14 C. The storm was still expected to pack a punch as it moved into Manitoba, with Environment Canada warning that between 10 and 20 centimeters of snow could be expected over much of the central and western part of the province by Sunday morning. Between 30 and 50 centimeters of snow are forecasted for higher elevations in the western part of the province. “In addition, the strong northerly winds, which have gusted at times as high as 90 km/h, are resulting in near-zero visibility in snow and blowing snow, primarily in west-central Manitoba,” the agency warned. “Highway travel has become difficult over much of the region and residents should be prepared to adjust travel plans accordingly. The combination of heavy snow and strong winds may also cause power outages.” –CTV.ta