Extreme cold in Manitoba leads to school and bus cancellations

January 20, 2025 Canuck

The bitterly cold weather gripping Manitoba has prompted many school divisions to cancel classes or bus service for the day.

Nearly the entire province, except for the far north, is under an extreme cold warning.

Wind chill values in the –44 to –50 are occurring throughout the south, central and northern regions of Manitoba due to a mass of Arctic air blanketing much of the country.

Warnings stretch from the eastern edge of Alberta all the way to Quebec, nearly covering all of Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec like it is in Manitoba.

Map of Canada with many areas highlighted in red due to extreme cold warnings. — Areas highlighted in red are under an extreme cold warning from Environment Canada. (Environment Canada)

The extreme cold in the central and northern regions of Manitoba should moderate Monday, according to Environment Canada.

Areas in the south should see relief starting on Tuesday as a weak low-pressure system moves through the area.

The high temperature for almost all of Manitoba on Monday is forecasted to be around –27 C with an overnight low of –30 C.

Normal temperatures for this time of year in Winnipeg are a high of –13 C and low of –23 C.

The following school divisions have cancelled all classes for Monday:

Border Land.
Fort La Bosse.
Garden Valley.
Prairie Spirit.
Red River Valley.
Rolling River.
Seine River.
Southwest Horizon.
Turtle Mountain.

Buses are not running, but schools are open in the following:

Beautiful Plains School Division.
Lord Selkirk School Division.
Mennonite Collegiate Institute in Gretna.

In the Brandon School Division, all schools are open but buses are only operating within the city. Attendance is at parental discretion where travel is required.

One school in the Franco-Manitoban division, École Aurèle Lemoine (St. Laurent), is closed Monday while several others have cancelled bus service though classes are still on: