Blizzard shuts down most of Nova Scotia for 2nd day
Nova Scotians still have a lot of shovelling ahead as storm conditions persist and pound Cape Breton
Strong winds and snow persisted across large parts of the province Tuesday and some regions continued to be battered by a massive blizzard, prompting a second day of widespread cancellations.
Schools across Nova Scotia remain closed, while malls and many businesses are either closed or have delayed opening until noon.
Despite plows on the road, the Department of Transportation reports some roads in the Annapolis Valley and Cumberland County are impassable.
Meanwhile, Halifax Transit buses won't be on the road until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Ferry service resumed in the morning.
Flights at Halifax Stanfield International Airport are either cancelled or delayed until mid-morning.
Snow this morning will taper to flurries ending this morning in the Halifax area, says Environment Canada. But blowing snow conditions will continue into this afternoon with winds gusting to 50 km/h.
Blizzard persists in northern areas, Cape Breton
In the southwest, it's mainly cloudy with blowing snow in exposed areas. Winds gusting up to 70 km/h will diminish early this afternoon. Temperatures will stay at about –4 C.
Blizzard warnings remain in effect in Cumberland County and the Cobequid Pass. Wind speeds of up to 80 km/h will result in frequent whiteout conditions. Temperatures will be about –6 C.
Cape Breton will also be in the grip of the blizzard until this afternoon as snow, at times heavy, turns to flurries this afternoon with temperatures steady at –4 C.
Both regions will get another 10 to 15 centimetres before the storm moves out.
"Road conditions are still treacherous. We're still asking the public to stay off the roads for public safety," said Cape Breton Regional Police Sgt. Joe Farrell.
"Numerous vehicles are already off the road, which are causing roads crews and police to attend, which is a dangerous situation for everyone involved. So we're still asking the public to stay off the roads until the storm system subsides."
About 45 centimetres of snow had fallen on Cape Breton by 3 a.m., Environment Canada said.
Police asking people to stay home
Winds were still gusting to 80 km/h this morning, causing blowing and drifting snow throughout the island. Police on the Island were asking people to stay home.
The Canso Causeway is open, but much of the island's transportation is shut down:
- Strait Area Transit and Transit Cape Breton are not running, with both saying they will reassess midday.
- Two arrivals and four departures have been cancelled at Sydney's McCurdy Airport.
- Marine Atlantic has cancelled ferry crossings between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland until at least 11:45 p.m.
- The road between Cape North and Pleasant Bay is closed.
Roy MacDonald, area manager with the Transportation Department for Cape Breton, said they kept all of their roughly 30 pieces of snow-clearing equipment on the roads Monday night. Crews were on highways all night, but visibility remains poor, he said.
The crews will work on local roads and residential streets, but MacDonald told CBC News it would be best if people hunkered down and waited out the day.
Power crews working in extreme weather
About 5,300 Nova Scotia Power customers had no electricity Tuesday morning, with the majority of outages in Cape Breton and the Liverpool area.
The power company said it restored power to more than 48,000 customers overnight, working in extreme weather conditions with poor visibility and road conditions.
"We are estimating power restoration of the majority of our customers by the end of day Tuesday," spokesman Steve Pothier said Tuesday morning.
The utility said in Cape Breton, the system held up relatively well because the snow was not wet and heavy.
