Workers tend to downed power lines in Escuminac, N.B., on on Jan. 27, 2017.Diane Doiron/The Canadian Press
Weather warnings are out for the Atlantic provinces as a major snowstorm is forecast to hit the region overnight, prompting the Nova Scotia government to close all its mainland offices tomorrow and authorities in Halifax to close schools, shut down transit, ferries and other municipal services as a precaution.
Environment Canada says a low pressure system from south of Cape Cod is expected to rapidly intensify heading into Monday morning, bringing blizzard conditions and winds of up to 110 km/h to Nova Scotia.
Forecasters say total snowfall amounts by Monday evening will range from 30 to 60 centimetres for the western portions of Nova Scotia, 20 to 30 centimetres for northern and eastern regions and 30 to 40 centimetres in Cape Breton.
Environment Canada meteorologist Jason Sheppard at the Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre in Halifax said some areas could even see as much as 75 centimetres.
"Those winds, combined with the snow, will give us blizzard conditions for most of Monday and possibly parts of Tuesday morning," Sheppard said.
Snowfall amounts between 25 and 40 centimetres are expected in much of New Brunswick, with winds gusting up to 90 km/h, while 30 centimetres of snow, driven by winds gusting up to 100 km/h are expected in P.E.I.
Snow and strong winds are expected to hit Newfoundland on Monday night.
Environment Canada and police say travel is not recommended during the storm, noting that roads are expected to be extremely hazardous due to widespread poor visibility, and numerous flights in and out of the region have been cancelled.
"We haven't had one of this capacity in quite a while. Last year was a bit benign compared to what we're experiencing now at the beginning of this week," Sheppard said.
"I suspect there will be some happy kids tomorrow as school is potentially cancelled."
The provincial government said its mainland offices will be closed, though its Cape Breton offices will remain open.
Halifax Transit will not have any buses or ferries in operation on Monday, according to the city's web site. Municipal offices, customer service centres, and recreation facilities will also be closed.
"Cancelling transit service for the entire day will ensure that no passengers or employees are stranded on the road, at work or at school without a safe way to get home," the web site stated.
The Halifax Regional School Board closed schools on Monday in advance of the storm.
Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office, meanwhile, is warning that the storm combined with high tide on Monday could produce localized flooding along parts of the Atlantic Coast.
"The storm surge and strong winds can make the shoreline dangerous very quickly," Zach Churchill, the minister responsible for the office, said in a news release.
"I urge Nova Scotians to stay away from the coast during this storm."
Sheppard said the region had been off to a slow start this winter as far as extreme weather is concerned, but explains that a recent shift in the jet stream has put Atlantic Canada right in the path of brewing storms from the U.S. eastern seaboard.
After this one, he said another one appears to be on its way for later this week for the Maritimes and possibly Newfoundland.