Manitoba highways closed, blizzard warnings in effect

Global News assignment editor Brian Wood was forced to return home after he recorded this video on his way to work near Carman, Man.

WINNIPEG – Highways are closed, schools are closed and blizzard warnings are still in effect Thursday morning as a storm blamed for at least one death moves out of Manitoba.

The Trans-Canada Highway was closed from Highway 207 (just east of Winnipeg) to Hadashville. The stretch from Brandon in the west to Headingley on Winnipeg’s city limits was closed overnight but reopened at noon. Highway 75 from the Winnipeg city limits to the U.S. border reopened at 12:30 p.m. after being closed at 2 a.m. A full list of highway closures can be found below.

Prairie Spirit, Garden Valley, Western, Turtle Mountain, Prairie Rose, Pine Creek, Lakeshore, Red River Valley, Evergreen, Interlake, Sunrise, Seine River, Border Land, Lord Selkirk and Hanover school divisions are closed Thursday. In Park West School Division, the Binscarth, Inglis, Rossburn and Russell schools are closed today and there are no buses running to those schools. Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna has also cancelled classes. Seven Oaks School Division will not be running buses to West St. Paul but schools are open. The Division scolaire franco-manitobaine has cancelled buses outside of Winnipeg.Red River College regional campuses in Peguis, Fisher River and Interlake are closed, but classes are on at Winnipeg campuses. Providence University College in Otterburne is closed.

Morden, Winkler, Altona, Emerson, Morris, Steinbach, St. Adolphe, Dominion City, Vita and Richer were still under blizzard warnings Thursday morning.

RELATED: Temperature records set as damaging winds blew storm into Manitoba

RCMP reported poor driving conditions on the Perimeter Highway due to blowing snow, slippery roads and snow-drifted roads. Drivers are advised to use extra caution, reduce their speeds and increase the distance between vehicles.

RCMP also issued a warning overnight about poor driving conditions, zero visibility, blowing snow and snow-covered roads on several Manitoba highways. Global News viewers reported poor highways forcing drivers to turn back.

Some signal lights are not working in the city of Winnipeg and drivers are warned to be cautious. Treat intersections where lights aren’t working as four-way stops.

RELATED: Winnipeg traffic map

A crash closed the eastbound lanes of the North Perimeter Highway near Route 90 at about 6:30 a.m., Skyview 1 reported. A Global News cameraman sent to the scene was told by RCMP it was too dangerous to exit his vehicle to record the scene.

High winds and low visibility were causing delays at the Richardson International Airport on Thursday morning. The airport authority advised travellers to check with their airline or their airport for information.

A 62-year-old man died in a head-on collision on Highway 30 near Rosenfeld, Man., when his pickup truck and a grain truck collided at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. A 50-year-old woman who was a passenger in his vehicle was taken to the Altona hospital with undetermined injuries. RCMP are still investigating, but said driving conditions are believed to be a factor in the crash.

RELATED: Crash death blamed on storm as RCMP close Manitoba highways

Highway closures in effect at 5 a.m. Thursday:

• Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) from Hadashville to Highway 207 (just east of Winnipeg)
• Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the U.S. border
• Courchene Road from Turnbull Drive to Highway 200

Reopened as of 12:30 p.m.:

• Highway 59 from La Rochelle to Highway 52 (closed at 8 a.m., reopened 1 p.m.)
• Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the U.S. border (at 12:30 p.m.)
• Trans-Canada Highway from Headingley (just west of Winnipeg) to Brandon (at noon)
• Highway 16 from Highway 83 to Highway 264
• Highway 5 from Neepawa to Highway 68 (near Ste. Rose du Lac) (at 9:30 a.m.)
• Highway 5 from Grandview to the Saskatchewan border (at 10 a.m.)