Blast of winter hits Winnipeg, extended parking ban in effect

Winnipeggers are digging out while braving the cold after a blast of winter that began Friday and continued into Saturday.

The storm system affecting southern Manitoba is expected to bring 10 to 25 centimetres of snow, gusty winds and blowing snow.

“Snowfall totals across the regions are highly variable,” Environment Canada said in an update early Saturday afternoon.

“However, radar and surface reports indicate the highest amounts thus far have fallen west of the City of Winnipeg along a line north to south in the vicinity of Portage la Prairie stretching northward into the Interlake and southward towards the U.S. border.”

With wind gusts up to 60 km/h forecasted for Winnipeg and the southern Interlake, Environment Canada warned of reduced visibility.

“Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow,” the update said.

The blast of winter has led to an extended snow route parking ban on main routes, bus routes and collector streets.

Parking on snow routes will be prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m. Sunday morning, which is two hours longer than the typical ban.