Storm challenges drivers, closes schools in Atlantic Canada
Digital Reporter
Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 3:45 PM - The same system that brought thunderstorms to southern Ontario Monday pushed through the Maritimes Tuesday bringing a wintry mix and challenging driving conditions.
ICE MOVEMENT WATCH: River Watch issued first public warning of the season with threat for ice jams, potential flooding.
Heavy rain fell on the region overnight, but transitioned to snow in parts of central and northern New Brunswick, as well as parts of Prince Edward Island.
More than 10 cm of snow could fall on the hardest hit parts of the region by Wednesday morning, and around 15 cm for Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula.
Several schools in New Brunswick were closed due to the winter conditions, which also made for serious driving difficulties for anyone unfortunate enough to be on the road.
As for outages, N.B. Power was reporting around 2,700 customers without power by the mid afternoon, with another 2,100 Maritime Electric customers in the dark in Prince Edward Island.
The low pressure system that has produced this mess is set to ramp up the winds through the afternoon, with gusts especially strong in eastern areas.
Wind warnings are in effect for Prince Edward Island and eastern Nova Scotia as of mid-Afternoon, with gusts likely to top 100 km/h in warned areas. However, even lesser gusts will make for blowing snow, another hassle for travellers until the winds subside overnight into the early morning.
In Newfoundland, wind and winter storm warnings are in effect for much of the island's northern and western coasts, expected to die down through the day Wednesday after reaching top speeds of 120 km/h.
"Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur. Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage," Environment Canada says.
