Westman ‘in for a lot of weather’ this weekend

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This article was published 22/04/2022 (1612 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the second week in a row, Westman residents can expect extreme weather.

As of Friday, Environment and Climate Change Canada had two kinds of active weather alerts for Westman, a rainfall warning and a winter storm watch.

Some parts of the province had one of the two alerts while Brandon was subject to both.

While those two alerts might seem contradictory, rain that Brandon already started to experience Friday is expected to continue into Saturday, turning into snow either late that day or early Sunday.

Over the weekend, parts of southern Manitoba are expected to receive 40 to 60 millimetres of rain. Since the ground is still frozen, its ability to absorb any moisture will be minimal, leading the province to issue an overland flood warning on Thursday.

The area covered by that overland food warning extends from the Saskatchewan border east to Highway 12, east of Winnipeg, and from the United States border north to the Trans-Canada Highway.

This weekend’s rain will be combined with gusts of wind howling at speeds of 60 to 90 kilometres an hour. Ten centimetres of snow is expected, except near the border with Saskatchewan where closer to 30 centimetres is anticipated.

The combination of rain and cold could even create ice pellets.

According to Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, there’s also a chance this weather system could create pockets of thunderstorms.

“We’re in for a lot of weather,” he said. “We’ve got yet another Colorado low, and it’s the perfect time of year for the track of these systems to move up and brush southeast Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba over the weekend.”

Because of how wet things will be, Proctor said he has concerns that heavy snow settling on power lines could cause power outages. However, he said that because it’s later in the year, he doesn’t expect as much snowfall as a Colorado low would produce in a month like January.

A Colorado low is a low-pressure system that forms in either Colorado or New Mexico, moving either east or northeast and can produce heavy precipitation.

Proctor also warns that travelling by road could be a bit treacherous, not as much because of blowing snow like last week, but because pools of water on the road and low visibility could be a dangerous combination.

During last week’s blizzard, the RCMP closed most of the major highways in southern Manitoba. On Friday, Cpl. Julie Courchaine told the Sun by email that it’s important for Manitobans to plan ahead before travelling this weekend.

She recommends that anyone travelling should check road and weather conditions, advise someone of your trip details, fully charge your cell phone and make sure a safety kit is ready to go before travelling. Courchaine also advises that people drive appropriately according to road conditions and not to drive on any closed roads or highways.

While no roads had been closed as of Friday afternoon, the corporal said the RCMP are continuing to monitor road conditions and will close highways if necessary.

The City of Brandon’s emergency co-ordinator Tobin Praznik said Friday that city officials were making preparations, especially when it comes to potential flooding.

“We’re still in spring, there are areas of ground that will still be frozen, so when we’re talking about 40, 50 millimetres of precipitation, it kinda does put everyone on alert,” Praznik said. “Is that precipitation going to flow through the drainage infrastructure, or is it going to sit because there’s nowhere to go? We put everyone on alert, because you just don’t know the amount of precipitation we might receive.”

He said the city is keeping in touch with provincial flood forecasters, who have listed the Assiniboine River as a moderate risk of flooding.

After the weekend passes, Praznik said the city will have a better idea of the flooding risk for the rest of the spring.

Ahead of the weather, he recommends that residents keep their eavestroughs and drains clear of debris, to make sure downspouts are directing water at least three feet away from a home to avoid water pooling around foundations, and to make sure that sump pumps and backwater valves are in good working order.

If anyone sees catch basins or sewer drains not draining water or full of debris, Praznik asks that they call the city’s operations department at 204-729-2285.

Crews will be keeping an eye on conditions over the weekend. Any updates for residents will be communicated through the city’s social media feeds.

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