All highways in southern Manitoba have reopened as of Saturday afternoon, after a brutal winter storm swept across the province on Friday, stranding drivers and prompting emergency responses.
Environment Canada reported wind gusts up to 80 km/h during Friday’s storm, creating near-zero visibility in many areas. Some travellers were stuck in their vehicles for more than eight hours, especially along the Trans-Canada Highway between Headingley and Portage la Prairie.
RCMP responded to numerous collisions throughout the day, including two major pileups near Oakville, and warned drivers that response times were significantly delayed due to weather and road conditions.
The Oakville Community Centre opened as an emergency shelter on Friday afternoon to assist stranded motorists, offering a warm place to rest with coffee, tea and water. Several other communities also opened up emergency warming shelters.
Today’s forecast continues to include a risk of frostbite, with a high of minus 18 and wind chills as low as minus 36 this morning. Winds are expected to shift to the west and decrease through the day.
