Highway 1 closed as spring snowstorm blows through southern Manitoba for 2nd straight day

The seemingly endless winter in Manitoba has led to more weather alerts and more highwayclosures.

Most of southern Manitobawas under winter storm or snowfallwarnings through much of Thursday.

Thewinter storm warning covered a large area between Lake Manitoba and the Saskatchewan borderand south of Duck Mountain Provincial Park.

The area was hit with a Colorado low on Wednesday and now afurther 15-25 centimetres of snow is possible through Thursday.

The heaviest accumulations will be focused along the the western escarpment and Riding Mountain region, according to Environment Canada's alert, which also sayswinds may produce blowing snow at times and reduce visibility.

All other regions under a weather alert are subject to the snowfall warning. That includes a swath from just north of Brandon down to the U.S. border and eastwardto the Ontario border.

The snow in those areas is anticipated to continue through the day and into the night beforetapering off through the day on Friday.

About 10cmis expected to fall, though some areas close to the western escarpment of the Red River Valley could seein excess of 20 cm,Environment Canada says.

The southern edge of the Interlake Region and the Duck Mountain area were also under the snowfall warning but it has since been lifted.

Poor driving conditions led to classes being cancelled for Thursday in the following divisions:

• Fort La Bosse School Division.
• Rolling River School Division.
• Park West School Division.

Alexander, O'Kelly and Spring Valley schools were closed in the Brandon School Division because buses were not running outside the city.Buses were operatingwithin the city, but school attendance was at parental discretion where travel was required.

Bus service was also cancelledin the Beautiful Plains Divisionbut schools were open.

Highway closures

The Trans-Canada Highway was closed between Virden and the Saskatchewan borderlate Thursday evening, after icy and rainy conditions resulted in poor driving conditions.

Thehighway had been closedbetween Brandon and the Saskatchewan borderfor a few hours Thursday morning but reopened around 9:30 a.m.

In Riding Mountain National Park, Highway19 from Provincial Trunk Highway 10 to the park's east gate was closed on Thursday afternoon due to poor driving conditions.

As well, Highway247 east of La Salle, from Waverley Streetto Floodway Road, was closed in the afternoon due to a culvert washout.