Power restoration efforts ongoing in northern Manitoba after snowstorm
Restoration work expected to finish Tuesday night but may stretch into Wednesday: Hydro
About 3,000 Manitoba Hydro customers remained without power Monday night after a storm system brought rain and snow to many parts of the province throughout the day.
In areas where the rain turned into snow, it was heavy and wet, causing trees to buckle and power lines to snap. High winds at times added to the widespread power outages, a news release from Hydro said.
More than 12,000 customers were affected at one point.
Manitoba Hydro is dealing with broken power poles from the heavy snow. This image is from the northern Interlake region on Monday. (Manitoba Hydro/Bluesky)
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The majority of the 3,000 customers who remained without power on Tuesday afternoon were in northern Manitoba, Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura told CBC News.
Hydro aims to have the power restored by 8 p.m. Tuesday, but some restoration work could carry into Wednesday, Chura said.
Impacted communities are around the town of The Pas and northwest of the city of Thompson, including the community of Nelson House and the town of Leaf Rapids.
(The Weather Network)
Crews from Brandon and Selkirk are helping Hydro's efforts to restore power in the north. Hydro received over 150 reports of downed power lines, but crews have found more damage as they work through the area.
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Others affected are in eastern and western areas of the province.
About 300 people around the western town of Swan River were without power on Tuesday morning. Swan River also has an estimated restoration time of 8 p.m. Tuesday, but work could continue into Wednesday.
Trees hang heavy with thick, wet snow near The Pas in northern Manitoba after Monday's storm. (Manitoba Hydro)
Power is also expected to be restored today for customers in the Russell and Dauphin areas in western Manitoba, Chura said.
Hydro also got about 150 reports of power lines downed by fallen trees in eastern Manitoba, with a smaller number of customers still without power, but it's expected to be restored by 7 p.m.
Updated information on restoration times will be posted on Manitoba Hydro’s social media channels.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning early Monday, saying general snowfall amounts of 10-25 centimetres were expected from the storm, though parts of northern Manitoba had the possibility of in excess of 30 cm.
Kyle McAulay, operational meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the system started off as rain and shifted to snow as it moved farther north and into colder air.
Snow Lake received the largest amount of snow, with an estimated 35 cm, while Thompson saw 20 cm and Flin Flon had 12.
Liquid measures in millimetres were also taken, combining rain and snow that melted. The following communities received the most:
The Pas: 67.5 mm.
Westray: 61.4 mm.
Swan River: 52.4 mm.
Durban: 52.1 mm.
Grand Rapids: 48.6 mm.
William River: 46.2 mm.
Thompson: 38.7 mm.
Norway House: 33.3 mm.
Flin Flon: 21.7 mm.
Those figures are expected to rise in several locations as the powder snow turns to liquid, McAulay said.
“I would say it's probably mostly going to melt … if it hasn't already," he said. Mostly sunny skies and daytime temperatures around 5 C are expected around Thompson and other areas.
Anyone who sees a downed power line should remain at least 10 metres away and call 911.
Customers without power can report outages online or by calling 1-888-624-9376.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Manitoba Hydro/Bluesky.
This article was originally published for CBC News.