Southern Manitoba’s snowy weather is sticking around.
Weather expert Bruce Johnson told 680 CJOB we can expect up to 20 centimetres this weekend. The rest of the week is going to stay cold, which will keep the snow from melting.
“Coming on Friday, it’ll be maybe another 7-12 (cm) and then maybe another 5-10 or so on Saturday afternoon, overnight, ending Sunday morning,” he said.
According to Johnson, Manitoba will be in really rough shape if a Colorado low hits us with a major snowfall in March or April, as there won’t be anywhere to move it.
“So often a really, really hot summer is followed by a really tough winter, and this is no exception … But, you’ll remember, last winter we hardly had any snow, we didn’t get much cold weather. We’re making up for it this time.”
Johnson says the potential for flooding depends largely on how much snow is still around when the sun is stronger in early Spring.
“You could sneeze and bury somebody’s car in the snow right now,” Johnson said.
“It’s very, very light and fluffy. There’s not a big flood potential right now, but if we get one — or two or three — of those heavy, wet snows, then we’ve got to worry about that a lot more.”
Despite the heavy snowfall, it’s still not likely enough for Manitoba farmers coming off last season’s drought conditions.
Larry Wegner, who farms just north of Virden and is the former Chair of Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association, said ideal conditions would include a lot more moisture in the snow.
The current snowpack, he said, is a lot like styrofoam… a lot of bulk but not a lot of weight.
The fields are getting bare out here in the west. The centre of the fields where anybody did any field work or did any stubble work, that land is getting exposed,” Wegner said.
“There’s lots of snow on the trees and the road allowances and the yards, but it’s getting bare in spots in the field.
“Every part of the province is going to be different, but I do know in this part of the province, the southwest corner, there are getting to be bare spots showing up.”
Wegner said farmers need above-average moisture for at least a month to recharge the fields.
“This snow is not going to take us to above-average or even average,” he said.
“We’re just into an average year, and after last year’s negative, we’re not even close to being average in the soil.”