A snowstorm blew into Atlantic Canada on Wednesday, forcing government offices and schools to close in the Maritime provinces as Newfoundland braced for snowfall and strong winds expected to intensify overnight.
Schools in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and southeastern New Brunswick did not open Wednesday owing to the wet and snowy conditions.
Meanwhile, wind and winter storm warnings were issued for large chunks of Newfoundland and parts of Labrador, with Environment Canada predicting gusts reaching between 100 and 130 kilometres an hour in some areas.
Residents on the eastern side of the island were stilling digging out from a storm on Monday and Tuesday that dumped more than 40 centimetres of snow on the Avalon Peninsula.
Service NL tweeted a statement Wednesday advising people to prepare for winter road conditions, suggesting they keep shovels and road salt in their trunks in case their vehicle becomes stuck.
College of the North Atlantic campuses in the St. John’s area closed early Wednesday because of wet road conditions. The City of St. John’s said it would postpone garbage and recycling pickup scheduled for Thursday in anticipation of the intense winds.
On Wednesday, the heavy, wet snow made driving treacherous in Halifax, where the morning commute was lighter than usual.
Snowfall warnings were in effect for the eastern half of mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, with the forecast calling for up to 35 cm of snow in some areas. Snow was expected to taper off Wednesday night.
Strong northerly winds were expected to reach up to 70 km/h later in the day, reducing visibility.
Canada Post cancelled mail delivery in the Halifax area for the day and said there would be delays in the rest of the province.
All public-health appointments across Prince Edward Island were cancelled Wednesday afternoon, and Health PEI encouraged the public to call ahead if they had any appointments.
Snowfall warnings remained in effect for P.E.I. on Wednesday afternoon, with between 20 and 30 cm of snowfall anticipated for Kings and Queens counties by the evening.
Marine Atlantic cancelled late-day ferry crossings between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and many flights in and out of Halifax Stanfield International Airport were cancelled or delayed.
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