Schools closed, flights cancelled as storm moves through the Maritimes

Storm brings a mix of bad weather to N.S. heavy snow to freezing rain, Nova Scotians had to deal with power failures and school cancellations. Suzette Belliveau reports.

HALIFAX — Schools across the Maritimes were closed today amid a messy mix of ice pellets, freezing rain and snow, courtesy of a storm that moved into the region overnight.

Freezing rain warnings remained in effect across Nova Scotia, where driving was treacherous during the morning commute.

Some government offices delayed opening and many flights were cancelled at Halifax Stanfield International Airport and at the Charlottetown Airport.

Despite the icy conditions, relatively few power outages were reported across the region.

Across P.E.I., the freezing rain warnings included references to snow and ice pellets.

And while temperatures were expected to rise throughout the day in Nova Scotia and P.E.I., the forecast is calling for strong winds in the evening that will usher in colder temperatures.

Marine Atlantic, the ferry service that links Nova Scotia with Newfoundland, cancelled sailings scheduled for tonight and was warning the same thing could happen on Saturday morning.

Between 20 and 45 centimetres of snow was expected to fall over central and northern New Brunswick by Saturday, with the southern reaches of the province expected to get coated in freezing rain for much of today.

Meanwhile, residents across entire island of Newfoundland and the southern tip of Labrador are being warned to brace for freezing rain, snow, ice pellets, rain and strong winds today and into the evening.

Government officials are warning that the ugly mix of strong winds and ice buildup could lead to prolonged power outages.

On the Avalon Peninsula, which includes St. John's, another 15 centimetres of snow is in the forecast for an area still digging out from a storm last month that dumped more than 75 centimetres of snow on the city -- forcing a week-long emergency shutdown.

The snow is expected to be whipped around by gusts on Saturday reaching 110 kilometres per hour along parts of the island's east coast.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2020.