PHOTOS: Widespread Atlantic power outages after major ice, heavy snow
At one point, more than 50,000 customers were without power in Nova Scotia on Saturday as the weight of a major ice storm stressed trees and power lines across the province.
A far-reaching winter storm that stretched thousands of kilometres across the United States and Canada left its mark on the Atlantic provinces Friday and Saturday as heavy snow and extensive ice pummelled the region. Tens of thousands of people are still without power as crews scrambled to keep up with the widespread damage.
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Many communities in Nova Scotia saw freezing rain for 18-24 hours between Friday and Saturday.
Nova Scotia Power’s official outage numbers ticked above 55,000 around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday as trees and power lines buckled under the weight of the significant ice. The tally dropped below 20,000 by early Sunday afternoon, and the figure will likely fluctuate through the weekend.
Wind gusts of 30-50 km/h will linger into Sunday morning, adding additional stress on top of the weight of the ice, leading to the potential for more downed trees and power outages into early this week.
Ice accretion in Middle Sackville, N.S. (Nathan Coleman/The Weather Network)
This widespread winter storm led to significant disruptions across Atlantic Canada. The storm dropped heavy snow over parts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, where many communities wound up with more than 30 cm of snow by the end of the storm.
Newfoundland, meanwhile, is in the midst of its own problems from the same system -- heavy rain, snow, flooding and a sharp temperature drop that threatens a hard freeze into Sunday.
St. John's, N.L., saw a significant temperature drop overnight, going from close to 10°C Saturday evening to -8°C by Sunday morning. The sharp drop in temperatures will bring the risk of a hard freeze from any standing water leftover from the heavy rains.
Residents across the region documented the extensive snow and ice on social media. Check out some of the latest pictures and videos, below.
WATCH: TREES BENT AND BROKEN AS FREEZING RAIN TAKES A TOLL IN NOVA SCOTIA
Thumbnail courtesy of Mike MacDonald in Halifax, Nova Scotia
