Many Nova Scotians spend the morning digging out after storm

Snowfall in Nova Scotia A look at the latest with closures and cleanup from the snowfall that hit Nova Scotia overnight. Suzette Belliveau reports.

HALIFAX — Many Nova Scotians spent Friday morning digging out and cleaning up after a late fall snowstorm blasted part of the province Thursday.

A low-pressure system passed south of Nova Scotia on Thursday, bringing slick and snow-packed roads to parts of the province.

One student was on a school bus when it went into a ditch Friday morning in East Lawrencetown, N.S.

Despite being a little shaken up, the child and the driver are otherwise OK.

"We always try to do our best on snowy days and this morning, this strip hasn't been plowed a lot," said bus driver Lily Navarro.

Some parts of Halifax saw up to 20 centimetres after snow started falling around noon on Thursday.

Canada Post issued a mail delivery alert for the province, indicating that inclement weather may cause delays.

While schools in the Tri-County and South Shore regional centres for education were closed for the day, schools in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education only delayed classes for two hours.

Officials say, while they don't delay school often, it usually happens once or twice a year, when weather conditions don't warrant a full-day closure.

Still, many parents are questioning why they just didn't keep students safe at home.

"They should have had no school," said Dartmouth, N.S., parent Shawn Strangward. "They could have stayed home and enjoyed the snow and played outside instead of half a day of school."

Throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality, people spent the morning digging out and cleaning up what Mother Nature left behind.

"(At) 7:30, we looked out the door and had to shovel the snow out of the way to get out," said resident Nancy Terry."We have four little Shih Tzus, so we needed to make a path for them. So, it started quite early and we're still at it."

Jeff Lebrun faced the same problem, but from a different direction.

"Oh, I haven't shovelled yet," Lebrun said."I worked a night at the IWK. I'm a nurse, so I've come home to a driveway full of snow and I'm about to start."

Despite the conditions Thursday evening and Friday morning, police in the Halifax area say very few cars were on the roads, adding they only responded to a few minor collisions.

The overnight winter parking ban, which was in effect in HRM from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday, has been lifted. However, parked vehicles could still be ticketed or towed if they obstruct snow removal.