City digs out from blast of snow

The City of Brandon was set to begin plowing major streets and sidewalks at midnight Tuesday after southwestern Manitoba, including the Parkland region, received between 10 to 20 centimetres of snow.

A low-pressure system from Alberta swept through southern Saskatchewan and the Prairies on Tuesday and would stick around until this morning, said James Colangelo, a meteorologist at Environment Canada and Climate Change.

Brandon was projected to get up to 15 cm of snow while higher elevations in the Parkland region were expected to receive up to 20 cm, he said Tuesday afternoon.

“With that heavier snow falling down and that wind blowing as well, we’re seeing quite reduced visibilities in these conditions,” Colangelo said.

A parking ban is in effect along designated snow routes in Brandon, the city said in a news release.

Residents will not be able to park on Rosser and Princess avenues between First and 18th streets from midnight until 8 a.m. starting on Wednesday. Parking restrictions may be enforced in residential areas during snow clearing operations.

“No parking” signs will be posted by 4 p.m., the city said.

The city uses a priority-based system for street clearing, which is determined by street classification and traffic volume, the release said.

Back-lane plowing was set to start Tuesday at midnight in the core area, stretching from 1st to 18th Street from Victoria and Pacific Avenues.

The city’s public works team expects to finish snow-clearing efforts by Saturday, Dec. 20.

Colangelo said the Brandon Municipal Airport had received approximately six centimetres of snow by late Tuesday afternoon and was predicted to get up to 10 centimetres more, with winds gusting between 30 and 50 kilometres per hour out of the northeast.

People are advised to be cautious while driving or walking as it will likely be difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. People should prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions while driving.

“It can be really treacherous driving in these kinds of heavy snow flurry times, especially when there’s a lot of traffic on the road,” Colangelo said.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, the Brandon School Division had not announced any school or bus-route closures.

The Trans-Canada Highway from Portage la Prairie to Virden had fair visibility, with blowing snow and partly covered roadways throughout Tuesday.

The temperature in Brandon is expected to drop to -21 C today with a forecasted wind chill ranging from -25 C to -28 C as cold air comes in from the northwest, Colangelo said.

Another two to three centimetres of snow is expected in Brandon on Thursday.

Colangelo encourages people to keep an eye on their local forecast for weather warnings.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com