Blizzard, possible whiteout conditions headed to southern Manitoba

Extreme cold warnings issued Wednesday, then again Thursday morning, have morphed intoblizzard warnings and blowing snow advisories for most of Manitoba.

Early Thursday,Environment Canada extended extreme cold warningsdue totemperatures rangingbetween 32 C and 36 C.

By late morning, many of those warnings turned into blizzard warnings and some blowing snow advisories.

Parts of southern Manitoba can expect between two and five centimetres of snow starting in the evening, as well as reduce visibility and winds gusting to 60 km/hthrough the evening.

Blizzard conditions will abruptly worsen into Friday morning as winds pick up andgust to 80 km/h, Environment Canada says.Whiteout conditions may occur in the morning and afternoon, including in the Red River Valley.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for the following areas:

• City of Winnipeg.
• Brandon,Neepawa,Carberry and Treherne.
• Dugald,Beausejour and Grand Beach.
• Killarney, Pilot Mound and Manitou.
• Melita, Boissevain andTurtle Mountain Provincial Park.
• Minnedosa andRiding Mountain National Park.
• Morden,Winkler,Altona andMorris.
• Portage la Prairie,Headingley,Brunkild and Carman.
• Selkirk, Gimli, Stonewall and Woodlands.
• Ste. Rose,McCreary, Alonsa and Gladstone.
• Steinbach,St. Adolphe, Emerson, Vita andRicher.
• Virden and Souris.

Blowing snow advisories are also in effect for the following regions:

• Arborg, Hecla, Fisher River,Gypsumville and Ashern.
• Bissett, Victoria Beach, Nopiming Provincial Park andPine Falls.
• Dauphin, Russell, Roblin and Winnipegosis.
• Sprague and Northwest Angle Provincial Forest.
• Whiteshell,Lac du Bonnet andPinawa.

Extreme cold warnings remain in effect for Brochet, Tadoule Lake, Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids and Pukatawagan, wherewind chillbetween45 to50 was expected Thursday.