PHOTOS: Poor travel, closures as heavy snow and winds wallop the Maritimes
Difficult travel across parts of the Maritimes early Friday, as heavy snow and powerful winds led to quickly deteriorating conditions for places like Halifax.
A sprawling winter storm that hit the East Coast on Thursday, brought heavy snow, powerful winds and quickly deteriorating travel conditions across the Maritimes into Friday morning.
By 6 a.m. on Friday, 16 cm of snow had already been reported in Halifax, NS, with over 20 cm on the ground in Moncton, NB. By the storm's end, as much as 30 cm could pile up in some of the hardest hit areas, with winter storm and snowfall warnings still in effect through the early morning hours.
Visit our Complete Guide to Spring 2023 for an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
The snow picked up in intensity during the overnight hours on Thursday, with strong winds between 60-80 km/h resulting in blowing snow and near zero visibility at times.
As a result, all schools in the Halifax area closed for the day first thing Friday. Halifax Transit's bus and ferry services were also suspended until 10 a.m.
The weather conditions led to some delayed school buses and closures in parts of southern New Brunswick as well.
The snow will eventually taper off from west to east as the system pulls out to sea Friday, but blowing snow will likely continue for some areas as winds remain quite brisk.
"Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays," said Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the winter storm warning.
*Shovelling out from over 20 cm of snow in Halifax, NS (Nathan Coleman)
DON'T MISS: Be aware of your heart while shovelling heavy snow
While many of the systems this past winter have brought mainly rain and milder conditions to Nova Scotia, this time around, the major travel routes in the province are bearing the brunt of the storm. Central Nova Scotia, including Halifax, could wind up with as much as 30 cm by the time all is said and done.
Forecasters are also watching for another potential for snow across the region to start next week as a strong and active storm track continues moving up the coast.
Below is a look at how this latest storm shaped up across the Maritimes.
Clean-up begins in Halifax, NS after potent winter storm (Nathan Coleman)
