Mix of spring snow, rain closes some Nova Scotia schools Friday

Winter weather during first week of spring The calendar may say spring, but it looked like winter in many parts of the Maritimes on Friday. Kyle Moore reports.

A mix of snow and rain that began Thursday morning and afternoon in the Maritimes has led to some messy road conditions in the region.

The messy mix caused several schools in eastern Nova Scotia to close or delay opening Friday morning.

CLOSURES

Schools are closed in Richmond County, Inverness County and Port Hawkesbury, N.S. Classes are also cancelled at East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy in Monastery, N.S.

All Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education schools are closed.

In New Brunswick, many school buses were delayed by an hour.

Friday is a professional development day for schools in Prince Edward Island’s Public Schools Branch. Parent-teacher interviews and PD day sessions were delayed until 9:30 a.m.

WEATHER WARNINGS

Snowfall warnings are still in place Friday afternoon in Sydney Metro and Cape Breton County and Victoria County, where 20 to 25 cm of snow accumulation is expected before tapering off in the afternoon.

Cape Breton resident Allan Baillie was happy to have his snow blower to help clear his driveway on Friday, but was dreaming of warmer months ahead.

"I'm looking forward to getting out on the river again with the warmer weather," he said.

Others in Cape Breton saw Friday's storm as an opportunity to cash in and help out.

"We're shovelling driveways, the stairs, cleaning off the cars and doing anything else we can to help," said JJ Watkins.

GOVERNMENT DELAYS

Provincial government offices in Nova Scotia’s Inverness, Richmond and Victoria counties and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality delayed opening until noon.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s city hall is closed for the day.

TRAVEL

Transit Cape Breton services were not operating Friday morning.

Christina Lamey, with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, says the storm had a significant impact on services.

"It was touch and go on whether we'd be able to get transit on the road. It turns out we were not able to start transit until noon," she said.

Lamey says it will be well into the evening hours before all roads are cleared and sidewalks are plowed.