Atlantic Canada headed for deep freeze as weather warnings issued for region

A pedestrian crosses a street in Halifax on Monday, Dec. 12, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

HALIFAX -- Schools were closed and travel hampered as temperatures headed into the deep freeze throughout Atlantic Canada on Thursday.

Environment Canada issued weather warnings and special weather statements for the entire region, citing a mix of snow, snow squalls, wind and frigid temperatures.

Extreme cold warnings were issued for western Labrador and northern New Brunswick, which could see the mercury reach -35 C by Friday. The rest of the region was being told to brace for temperatures that could dip to -20 C overnight into Friday.

The agency also warned that certain groups of people, including the homeless, seniors, infants and people in poorly insulated homes, may be at heightened risk for hypothermia.

Schools and universities were shuttered in parts of Newfoundland due to expected snowfall amounts of around 15 cm for areas east of Bonavista, with the rest of the island expecting up to 10 cm.

Public schools also closed in Halifax, confounding some parents who took to social media to criticize the shut down ahead of temperatures that were expected to drop to -15 C or -30 C overnight into Friday.

"R u kidding me that school is cancelled!" a mother of three posted on Facebook. "My kids are at their school right now playing in the school yard."

Some flights were either cancelled or delayed at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

In Newfoundland, another 30 cm could be coming to the western edge of the province through to Saturday, with winds gusting near 100 km/h.

Wind warnings are in effect for eastern P.E.I., and parts of Cape Breton which could see persistent snow squalls. Wind in Sydney, N.S., was forecast to gust up to 90 km/h.