Update March 14th at 7:24 p.m. - Environment Canada has ended all Blowing Snow Advisories across Southern Manitoba. The wind is expected to diminish throughout the Tuesday evening hours, becoming light late tonight and overnight to Wednesday morning.
Highways throughout the region are reported partly ice or ice covered Tuesday evening, as the blowing snow melted, became slush and has frozen on roadways throughout the area.
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A Blowing Snow Advisory has been issued for a portion of Southern Manitoba spanning from the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border, east to Highway 75. Blowing snow advisories are issued by Environment Canada when winds are expected to create blowing snow giving poor visibility to 800 metres or less for at least three hours.
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"We have a couple factors at play today pushing southerly wind speeds into that 70 km/h range along the international border," explained CMOS Accredited Weathercaster Chris Sumner. "High pressure to our southeast, coupled with an approaching low moving through the central Prairies Tuesday, are combining to lead to the gusty conditions which have already started in some regions."
Sumner noted, the areas within the Advisory are also the same areas which received the most snowfall from last Saturday's low-pressure system which impacted the area.
"That light, and relatively fluffy snow, will be picked up and blown around significantly in the expected winds," he added.
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Poor visibility is expected, or already occurring in some areas. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations, and may suddenly be reduced to near zero.
"Another factor to keep in mind today is how the extensive ground drifting will more than likely lead to icing on highways by the afternoon," said Sumner. "With mainly sunny conditions expected, and the snow melting, sticking to the highway, and ultimately freezing, it's highly likely slick driving conditions will develop in addition to reduced visibility, especially on west-east highways."
Conditions are expected to improve this evening as winds diminish, becoming southwest at 20 km/h near midnight.