Winter is about to fall in Manitoba.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning, saying a major winter storm is expected to bring in excess of 30 centimetres along a line from Flin Flon through Thompson.
For other areas in the warning region, general snowfall amounts of 10-25 cm are expected, the weather agency says.
Specifically, Wabowden and Pukatawagan are expected to receive the higher end of that range, while Lynn Lake should see 5-10 cm.
Northerly winds are likely to gust up to 50 or 60 km/h, giving poor visibility at times blowing snow.
Highway closures are almost certain, the warning says, urging people to not travel in the affected areas.
Highway 391, from Leaf Rapids to Nelson House, has already been closed due to poor driving conditions, along with Highway 280, from Thompson to Split Lake, and Highway 6, from Thompson to Highway 39.
Those who need to travel should prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating conditions. They should also carry an emergency kit and mobile phone, and make sure others know where they are going and when they plan to arrive, so help can be sent if needed.
Heavy snowfall accumulation combined with strong winds may also cause damage to trees or other structures before tapering off later Monday.
The town of Snow Lake has posted a message on Facebook, asking residents to conserve water where possible.
The generator powering the water treatment plant has run out of fuel and the refueling truck is on the way but struggling due to the heavy snowfall.
Power outages
The weather is also creating havoc for Manitoba Hydro, which says there are outages throughout eastern, northern and western Manitoba, affecting about 11,000 customers.
Wind, rain and trees making contact with wires have caused damage to lines, poles and other equipment, according to spokesperson Peter Chura.
“We have crews making their way from outage to outage but it will take time to find and make repairs in such a wide area. I can’t provide an estimated time for restoration.”
Crews will focus on repairs that will impact the most customers at once, so there could be extended outages through the day and into the night, as they make their way around, Chura said.
