Late-season storm hits the east coast

Monday, March 16, 2015, 2:32 PM -

The Atlantic provinces have once again been slammed by a powerful storm -- causing whiteout conditions and travel delays. 

The storm moved out of the region Monday, but not before causing its share of problems.

More than 40 cm of snow has fallen in parts of the Maritimes, while nearly every region struggling with blowing snow and wind gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour.

Nova Scotia police were forced to close Hwy. 104 into New Brunswick because of the conditions. Schools across the east coast were closed as well as some government offices.

Ferry services between the three Maritime provinces were delayed and several flights were cancelled.

More precipitation on the way for Newfoundland

A period of mixing is on the way for Newfoundland, with another round of rain-snow mix with some freezing rain through the evening hours as the system exits the region.

Making things worse will be powerful winds, reaching 100 km/h on the Avalon and staying windy before easing Tuesday night.

Impact

The storm has severely impacted transportation and services across the region. Here's the cancellations and closures we know of:

Transportation

• Newfoundland: Ferry crossings to Port-aux-Basques were cancelled Sunday, with potential impact for Monday as well. Check these Maritime Atlantic advisories for current conditions.
• PEI: Highways west of Crapaud are closed, all others covered. Confederation Bridge closed to all traffic.
• New Brunswick: Highway 2 from Moncton to the Nova Scotia border closed. Most roads covered or partially covered except in the north. Evandale ferry suspended due to the weather.
• Nova Scotia: Several highways near the New Brunswick border impassable, including Amherst to N.B. All highways except some around Halifax are listed as covered or partly covered.

Schools, Universities

• Nova Scotia: Some school office closures reported, reopening later in the day.
• New Brunswick: Schools in Anglophone School District South and East are closed, along with some schools in West and North (Rexton and Miramichi areas). All schools in Francophone Sud are cancelled. Mount Allison University closed until 11 a.m. Universite de Moncton closed until 1 p.m. NBCC Minto, Dieppe and Moncton closed. Crandall morning classes shut.
• Prince Edward Island: UPEI, Holland College closed.

Air Travel

• St. John's: Most morning and early afternoon flights delayed or cancelled.
• Halifax: Most morning flights delayed or cancelled.
• Saint John: A handful of delays.
• Charlottetown: Some flights cancelled.
• Fredericton: No cancellations or delays at this time.
• Moncton: Several morning and early afternoon flights cancelled.

Snowfall records broken

This storm was just what was needed to push two Maritime metropolises over the edge into their snowiest winters on record.

Both Charlottetown and Saint John claimed those dubious crowns. Charlottetown's record snowiest winter was just last year, while Saint John's toppled record dates back to the 1960s.

ACTIVE WEATHER TOOL KIT: Be prepared for winter weather with The Weather Network's online essentials: ALERTS | HIGHWAY CONDITIONS | UPLOAD PHOTOS/VIDEOS | LATEST NEWS | FOLLOW ON TWITTER