Parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been facing a major wintry wallop this week, as a potent Texas low stalls over southern Manitoba.

Eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba bore the brunt of the snow on Tuesday, with the heaviest accumulations falling along the provincial border. For some of the harder-hit areas, as much as 40 cm was forecast by the time all is said and done. Winds also began to pick up throughout the day Tuesday, adding dangerous blowing snow to the list of hazards drivers faced.

The snow has since eased in Saskatchewan, with just a couple of centimetres left near the Manitoba border through Wednesday. After heavy rain on Tuesday, Winnipeg, Man., saw the transition over to snow, and that will continue through the first part of Wednesday. Western sections of Manitoba could still pick up 5-10 cm, with northern areas in line for another 20 cm, as well. That prompted several school and bus cancellations across the province first thing Wednesday.

Blowing snow will also remain an issue during Wednesday, with blustery wind gusts of up to 70 km/h threatening whiteout conditions.

“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the winter storm warning issued early Wednesday. “Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.”

The snow will taper off and winds will gradually diminish later on Wednesday.

First major winter storm makes a mess of travel

On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to 44 vehicle collisions due to the onslaught of wintry conditions.

“The most common of these incidents were vehicles in the ditch and jackknifed semis,” the RCMP said in a news release.

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Highway closures, including sections of Highway 1, were reported in Saskatchewan and Manitoba early Wednesday morning.

Another widespread and significant snowfall could hit much of the southern and central Prairies again this weekend. It is too early to have confidence in snow totals and where the heaviest snow will fall, but this could have another major impact on travel across the Prairies.

See below for posts showcasing this week’s wintry conditions over Saskatchewan and Manitoba:

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