Atlantic Canada digs out from heavy snow
Shelley Steeves, reporter
February 2, 2012 — Winter hit the Maritimes like a bullet on Wednesday, and Moncton, New Brunswick was right in the midst of it all. By Thursday, the storm was affecting Newfoundland.
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Snowy conditions in St. John's, NL
Not everybody we met up with was happy about the heavy snow, including Will, a man we ran into.
"I am not a big fan of winter," he said. "I'd sooner see it sunny and warm."
Will had to toughen up because the snow got much worse as the day went on. The roads were a mess and a lot of people complained early on that the plows were nowhere in sight.
"It's really not good," said one woman we spoke to. "The roads are really slippery and the winds are picking up and we are heading home in fact."
And that's what a lot of people did -- ducked out of work early in order to get home before it got even worse. Some cars didn't make it in one piece as there was a slew of minor accidents mid-afternoon.
"Take your time," cautioned Constable Clay Wortman of the Codiac RCMP. "There is no rush to get anywhere because conditions are very poor."
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Snow totals from Wednesday - Thursday
The snow was coming down so hard making it tough to see, especially on the highways. At one point it was snowing 2 to 3 cm per hour.
"Plowing is good, the snow is ok," said Jeff Cumming, who was out clearing snow in Moncton. "But a lot of cars are in the way, a lot of ice underneath and a little slippery."
After a day filled with school closures, flight delays, slippery roads, plenty of accidents and headaches, the snow finally tapered off in the evening hours. Now, residents are digging out.
Moncton picked up close to 30 cm, while places like Bathurst and Gagetown saw closer to 15 cm.
On Thursday, parts of Newfoundland got another significant helping of snow. Schools across much of the Avalon Peninsula closed in the morning hours, along with some banks. The snowy, windy weather also led to tricky driving conditions.
For up-to-date information on the weather in our area, be sure to head to the Alerts section of the website.
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