Cancellations pile up as winter storm pushes through Nova Scotia
Many schools in province will be closed Monday, officials asking people to stay inside and keep doorways clear
Gusty winds are bringing blizzard-like conditions to parts of Nova Scotia as some areas are preparing for huge amounts of snow.
In the Halifax Regional Municipality, crews have been out 24/7 trying to keep the main arteries passable.
Erika Fleck, the municipality's director of emergency management, said in an interview Sunday that cars that shouldn't be on the road are making clearing efforts more difficult."
"A lot of impediments with cars on the road, plows can't get down roads, people driving without winter tires watching them slide around causing accidents. It's really greasy out there and people are not being smart about being on the roads right now," Fleck said.
Fleck is urging people to stay home. She said people should try to keep their doorways clear of snow because "it will keep drifting."
"The storm is not finished. We can expect another, you know, 10 to 15 centimetres depending on where you live in HRM. So just be careful," she said.
HRM will suspend all Halifax Transit bus, ferry and Access-A-Bus service at 9 p.m.on Sunday.
A decision for service on Monday will be made early in the morning.
The overnight winter parking ban will be enforced from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. AT in the region.
Local state of emergency in CBRM
On Sunday, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality declared a local state of emergency.
"Stay home. It is not safe to be on the roads," Mayor Amanda McDougall said Sunday.
She said private vehicles are getting stuck and abandoned, and that's dangerous for snow clearing crews and emergency workers.
McDougall said she's heard from some council colleagues that some roads maintained by the province have not seen plows in more than 24 hours.
"That's very, very unnerving when you think about emergency services and responding," said McDougall.
School closures
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education said all schools will be closed on Monday to allow for cleanup.
A posting from HRCE said the decision to close is based on information from the Emergency Management Office that more snow is anticipated and streets in Halifax Regional Municipality might not be fully cleared by morning.
Other schools closed for Monday are:
- Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education.
- Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education.
- Strait Regional Centre for Education.
Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, the province's French school board, is cancelling all classes in HRM on Monday. École acadienne de Truro, École acadienne de Pomquet, École Beau-Port, École NDA, École de Torbé, Bureau de Petit-de-Grat and Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie are closed Monday.
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The University of King's College, Mount Saint Vincent University, Dalhousie University Halifax and Truro campuses, Saint Mary's University, St. Francis Xavier University and Cape Breton University will all be closed on Monday.
Nova Scotia Community College, Akerley Campus, Annapolis Valley Campus, Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS), eCampus, Institute of Technology Campus, Ivany Campus, Aviation Institute, Marconi Campus, Pictou Campus, Strait Area Campus, Wagmatcook Learning Centre and Truro Campus are all closed on Monday.
The Nova Scotia government is asking people to stay off the roads, unless travel is absolutely necessary.
In a tweet, RCMP say the section of Highway 104 between Amherst and the Cobequid Pass toll plaza is impassable in both directions because of heavy snow and whiteout conditions.
Transportation has been affected by the weather with most flights cancelled at the Halifax airport and all flights cancelled at the Sydney airport.
Indira Abedmessaoud-Morellon, 18, has been trying to fly out of Halifax since Friday, but has had five flights cancelled. Her final destination is Paris and the delays mean she won't be able to spend as much time with family there.
"It's kind of ruining my plans," she said.
Abedmessaoud-Morellon said the earliest flight she can now get on is Wednesday.
Tiffany Chase, a spokesperson for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, told CBC's Maritime Connections on Sunday she recommends people check the status of flights before heading to the airport. She said airlines will be communicating directly with passengers.
Transit service in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is cancelled for the day, while Halifax Transit routes resumed operating at noon AT.
Waste collection for Monday in the Halifax Regional Municipality is cancelled.
Town of Pictou Mayor Jim Ryan estimates around 60 centimetres of snow has already fallen on the northern Nova Scotia town. He estimated the roads won't be fully cleared until Tuesday.
"It's going to be a couple of busy days," he said. "We have a small crew in town here on the road, but they've been working very hard at keeping the main routes open."
Non-emergency health service reductions
Nova Scotia Health announced a reduction in non-emergency services on Monday in its eastern, central and northern zones because of heavy snow.
"Patients are asked to consider the nature of booked appointments and whether any non-urgent appointments can be rescheduled. Please do not attempt to travel to a scheduled care appointment if it is unsafe for you to travel," the health authority said in an email.
More information on health-related closures and cancellations can be found here.
Weather forecast
As the winds crank up Sunday, blowing and drifting snow will become a greater factor, with blizzard-like conditions at times developing across Cape Breton and the eastern half of the mainland. Environment Canada has issued widespread winter storm warnings and blowing snow advisories, as well as snowfall warnings and special weather statements.
Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon says the storm is bringing the heaviest snowfall to the region since White Juan, a massive storm from 2004 that still lives in infamy in the minds of many locals.
"Big shout out to Jonathan Buffett from the Cape Breton Mesonet, he posted a little short time ago that this has the potential to be the largest multi-day snow event for the Sydney area since back in 1992," Snoddon told Maritime Connections.
"Folks might remember this one, Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 1992, the Sydney airport reported 102 centimetres in that snowfall ... we'll have to see where the official numbers fall but it's safe to say this is the biggest snow storm to hit the province in terms of totals since White Juan."
While Canada doesn't typically name winter storms, Snoddon says this storm will be one to remember.
"This one definitely needs a name because it will be one that we will not forget any time soon."
While most of Nova Scotia will see more snow Sunday right into Monday morning, the highest amounts are looking most likely to fall across eastern areas, with Cape Breton and the Northumberland Shore expected to fall in the crosshairs.
No matter the totals that fall in your region, the northeast winds on Sunday gusting in the 60 to 80 km/h range will lower the visibility at times, especially over open and exposed areas.
By Monday afternoon, it's looking likely that amounts will exceed 50 centimetres and reach up to 80 centimetres or more for many areas of the east and northeast.
Power outages
In the Sydney region, totals exceeding 80 centimetres are likely, with the potential for totals near 150 centimetres in some areas by Monday afternoon.
Nova Scotia Power says the storm is causing a number of power outages, more than 6,300 customers without electricity as of 11:45 p.m. on Sunday.
In a statement, Nova Scotia Power said crews are positioned across the province but their ability to travel to impacted locations has been more difficult due to snow and high winds.
Ski hill benefits
Leslie Wilson, president and general manager of Ski Wentworth, said the snow is a welcome sight.
"It has been an incredible two days. If there's such a thing as a ski-powder high, that's what we're experiencing here. It's just amazing. We've had at least 50 centimetres down now, drifting it's more than that ... people are giddy," Wilson told Maritime Connections.
Wilson said people have managed to dig out to head to Ski Wentworth.
"I suspect we will be busy again tomorrow," she said, adding she hasn't seen a snowfall like this since 2015 — another year locals remember for a lot of snow.
Snoddon says to stay safe and stay tuned for updates this weekend on cbc.ca/ns, the CBC News app, local radio and TV.
With files from Ryan Snoddon
