Snow and sleet are expected to continue across the southern half of the county on Thursday, but the low-pressure system responsible for the drastic return of winter is beginning to weaken, Environment Canada says. A total of five to 10 centimeters of snow – instead of the originally planned 10-15 centimeters – is possible across the Red River Valley, including Winnipeg, and southeastern Manitoba on Thursday. “[We] “We can see the slow decay of this storm,” said Dan Fulton, senior meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Winnipeg area received a total of 25cm on Wednesday as the storm hit for the first time. Fulton believes western Manitoba had more than that, but official figures are still pending. This part of the county, including Brandon, should have a much easier day, at just two to five inches, according to the Environment Canada forecast. Dauphin and the Interlake area are expected to get another five to 10 inches. Fulton expects that by the end of the storm, total snowfall will be 30-35 cm in southern Manitoba, much less than originally forecast. These forecasts had suggested an area of 30-50 cm but closer to 80 cm along the higher altitudes of Riding Mountain and Turtle Mountain. The few blizzard warnings in western Manitoba for much of the week have been rejected by Environment Canada and have been replaced by winter storm warnings that cover almost everywhere else in the south. Wind gusts are still strong at times, increasing fresh snowfall, so road trips can be difficult or impossible, especially on Thursday mornings, Environment Canada says. More than two dozen highways, or sections of highways, are closed due to poor driving conditions. Information on the ever-changing road conditions can be found on the provincial website.
