With snowy, windy conditions, RCMP advise Islanders stay home Friday night

Windy weather combined with snow is causing accidents on P.E.I. and police are asking drivers to stay home or drive with extreme caution.

Plows back on secondary roads

CBC News · Posted: Jan 17, 2020 8:08 AM EST | Last Updated: January 17, 2020

High winds and blowing and drifting snow caused problems across P.E.I. Friday. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

Windy weather and blowing snow are reducing visibility on P.E.I. roads and causing accidents, and police are asking drivers to stay home or drive with extreme caution.

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There were several accidents across P.E.I., including a two-vehicle collision in Kingston, police said, and a car that flipped onto its roof near Midgell on Route 2 in eastern P.E.I.

Vehicles were stuck on the Kingston Road in several areas, RCMP said in a tweet Friday, including a police patrol vehicle. They closed that road between the Cornwall Road and the Jewell Road "due to zero visibility and impassable conditions."

Kingston Road is still closed. As the work day comes to an end we are still turning away many motorist unaware of the current conditions. Cst. Parsons <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCPEI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCPEI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Ocean100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ocean100</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHOT1055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHOT1055</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZkojhxUUxn">pic.twitter.com/ZkojhxUUxn</a>
—@RCMPPEITraffic

Police also said another problem was cars getting stuck on roads being abandoned by their drivers.

"We are getting calls of people having to abandon their stuck cars in the middle of the roadway," an RCMP tweet said. "Some sections of roads are impassable. Use good judgment on [whether] it's necessary to be driving until conditions improve."

After the province pulled plows from some secondary roads this afternoon, P.E.I. Public Safety tweeted plowing had resumed. However, it also urged people to stay off roads.

Plows are heading back out in some areas, primarily to clear main routes where drifts have built up. If you don't have to be out, it's best to stay put.
—@PEIPublicSafety

Schools were cancelled and government offices were closed for the day Friday.

Danger of frostbite

A wind warning remained in effect for Kings County as of 7:15 p.m. Friday, as well as blowing snow advisories for all three counties.

Businesses in Charlottetown worked to keep sidewalks clear during Friday's wind storm. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

Winds will begin to ease tonight, said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland, but blowing snow may still be an issue into Saturday afternoon for exposed roads. Winds are expected from the northwest from 40 to 70 km/h easing slightly to 30 to 60 km/h overnight.

Temperatures will fall to from –12 to –19 C but Scotland said it will feel like –30 with the wind chill.

Saturday he predicts flurries are once again possible in central and eastern P.E.I. and may persist into the afternoon in Kings County. Winds will be from the northwest from 25 to 50 km/h in the morning easing to 25 to 30 km/h by later afternoon.

What's on the way for Sunday?

"There is the potential for P.E.I. to see significant snow on Sunday but there is still a lot of variability between forecast models for potential amounts," said Scotland, promising updates via social media.

Here's a look at peak winds from across <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PEI</a> today. WIND WARNING still in effect for Kings County with a BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY for all 3 counties (as of 6 pm). Winds will gradually ease overnight but blowing snow may reduce visibility for exposed areas into Saturday afternoon. <a href="https://t.co/V0Ru4QKWXe">pic.twitter.com/V0Ru4QKWXe</a>
—@JayScotland