Southern Manitoba under flash freeze warning as temperatures forecast to drop

Payback for an unseasonably mild day in southern Manitoba is on the way.

Environment Canada has issued a yellow warning for the region, as a rapid drop in the temperature Tuesday is expected to cause all of the wet and slushy surfaces to suddenly freeze.

A strong cold front is pushing in behind a mild one that took temperatures well above the normal high of –10 C for this time of year, the weather agency said.

Daytime highs in parts of the south hit 5 C, but many communities are seeing or will soon see those temperatures begin to slide. Brandon was 5 C early Tuesday but was –1 C by noon and is expected to drop to –9 C with a wind chill making it feel like –19.

Winnipeg was 4 C at noon but was expected to reverse that trend to –8 C in the afternoon and a wind chill of –17.

Environment Canada is urging people to be careful if they are out driving, walking or cycling, as surfaces will likely become very icy.

That glaze is expected to get covered when another system arrives on Wednesday, bringing a heavy dose of snow.

Snowfall amounts of five to 10 centimetres are in the forecast, with winds gusting to 40 km/h across parts of the south.