Southern Manitoba is bracing for a winter storm that’s expected to bring a heavy dump of snow and strong winds.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued an orange blizzard warning for a large swath of the Prairies, including portions of southern Manitoba, the Yellowhead and Trans-Canada highway corridors. 

Brandon, Winnipeg, Dauphin and Portage la Prairie are among the urban areas under the warning.

A heavy dump of snow — about 10-20 centimetres — is forecast to fall across the region, “but there are areas that are definitely going to get more,” said Natalie Hasell, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“But with the winds going to 70-90 km/h it will be hard to measure that snow. You’ll have areas that are swept dry and other areas that are massive drifts. So I don’t know if we’ll actually know how much snow has fallen.”

A strong Alberta clipper is to blame for the system, Environment Canada says on its weather alerts website . 

The weather system was expected to roll into the Manitoba parklands area in the afternoon, and then hit Manitoba’s Interlake and Red River Valley in the evening.

WATCH | Blizzard warning issued as snow, freezing rain hit southern Manitoba:

Blizzard warning issued as snow, freezing rain hit southern Manitoba

7 hours ago|

A mix of freezing rain and heavy snowfall is expected across southern Manitoba, triggering weather warnings. Riley Laychuk explains the forecast, potential impacts and what residents should prepare for.

The clipper brought freezing rain in parts of southern and western Manitoba on Wednesday.

“Winnipeg’s got a little bit of time before things really start. We’ve got, actually, really pleasant weather for the next few hours, and then everything changes,” Hasell said Wednesday morning.

“By sometime this evening, we should see very much reduced visibility in snow and blowing snow.”

Snow crews ready

Winnipeg city crews applied salt on regional streets to melt the freezing rain that started falling in the afternoon, Michael Cantor, manager of street maintenance, told CBC News.

He said drivers should still brace for icy road conditions and they are encouraged to slow down below the speed limit.

With snow in the forecast, workers are on standby to begin plowing in the evening.

“The whole city is covered with crews,” Cantor said. “It was supposed to be a bigger event than what we are actually expecting, but we will see what we get tonight.”

The city’s snow-clearing budget has increased over the last year to best match the cost of answering to winter weather events like Wednesday’s, Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters at an unrelated news conference. 

“We are a winter city and our staff is prepared for a blizzard,” he said. 

Red River College Polytech closed all Winnipeg campuses at 5 p.m. on Wednesday with evening classes and space rentals being cancelled due to the weather.

Possible health service disruptions

The Southern Health region has issued a caution, saying some health services could also be impacted by the storm.

Limited road access could cause delays or cancellations of appointments or other scheduled events, the regional health authority said in a news release.

Power outages may also affect phone and online services, which could prevent the authority from notifying patients about cancellations.

“Call ahead. Before leaving your home, please call your health-care provider’s office to confirm your appointment,” the release says.   

Home care clients are encouraged to have backup plans ready with family members and friends in case visits by the agency’s caregivers aren’t possible.

Midwifery clients who are planning a home birth should consider staying somewhere with access to a hospital as a backup plan.

Travel information and road conditions  are available on the Manitoba government website.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is also advising residents that community services, in particular home care, might be affected on Wednesday night and Thursday due to the weather.

Efforts will be made to keep existing schedules, but delays or cancellations are possible for some clients, the health authority said in a statement.

Home care clients are also being encouraged to consider back-up or storm plans, if possible.

The system is expected to end on Thursday, with the northern edge easing first, followed by the south, Environment Canada said.

Meanwhile bitter Arctic air is bringing extreme cold to Manitoba’s north. Environment Canada’s cold warning says wind chill values will approach –50.

Those conditions are anticipated to last until Thursday morning.