The province of Manitoba is issuing warnings to residents of southern Manitoba to exercise extreme caution regarding ice conditions along the Red River over the coming days.
According to Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s (MTI) Hydrologic Forecast Centre, weather conditions south of the border have caused a sudden rise in water levels which could cause the ice to lift along riverbanks and create open water conditions.
The advisory extends along the Red River north of Emerson all the way to Winnipeg.
Between December 24–27, areas within the Red River basin on the American side of the border received upwards of 80 millimetres of precipitation in a mix of ice and snow.
As a result, water levels have already risen by about five feet near Emerson and are peaking at this time. As this water approaches Winnipeg over the next three to five days, it is expected that the river will see between a three- and five-foot rise.
MTI will be releasing spring flood outlooks in late February and March.
