Wintry conditions close schools, cause driving snafus in Nova Scotia

Many schools across Nova Scotia were closed Wednesday as a blast of wintry weather blew through the region, causing slippery driving conditions.

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon said snow was to begin Wednesday morning for western areas and then throughout the afternoon for central and eastern areas.

A number of public schools in the province were closed or closing early. Dalhousie University was closing its Halifax and Truro campuses at 1 p.m. AT, and some NSCC campuses were closing early.

Snoddon said most of Nova Scotia can expect snow on the roads and continuing to fall for the commute Wednesday afternoon and evening.

While crews have been out in the Halifax area plowing and applying salt to the roads, ice is keeping many roadways slippery.

"We put some salt down in advance of yesterday's weather event as well as today's. But where we are in this cold snap, we are seeing a lot of ice on the surfaces and we're expecting those conditions to persist over the next couple of days," Laura Wright, a senior public affairs adviser for the municipality, told CBC News.

Wright said crews will continue to apply salt and clear snow until it stops falling.

The majority of Halifax Transit bus routes in Halifax are currently on a snow plan, Wright added.

"We absolutely encourage residents to plan the route in advance to allow for a little bit of extra time to arrive at their destination and just to take extra care if you do find yourself out on the roads over the next couple days," Wright said.

The system is expected to bring widespread snowfall totals of five to 10 centimetres for Wednesday afternoon and evening, then another two to five centimetres overnight, with localized areas near 10 centimetres.

Snow may mix with rain along the Atlantic coastline on Wednesday afternoon, keeping amounts a bit lower. 

Halifax Regional Municipality said its overnight winter parking ban would be enforced from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.

"We encourage people to secure off-street parking because it allows crews to have lots of room to clear snow as efficiently as possible," Wright said.

Between midday Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday, Halifax Regional Police responded to 32 reports of motor vehicle accidents.

In an email to CBC News, police said further reports are anticipated "as officers currently dealing with accidents progress and conclude their attendance and investigations."

In an earlier news release, regional police reminded motorists to adjust their driving for conditions. 

"When the roads are slippery, a vehicle's stopping distance increases, so allow extra space between you and the road user ahead," a news release said.

"When approaching a red light or stop sign, begin stopping earlier to help prevent sliding into the intersection."

Cars could be seen struggling to stop at an intersection on Jubilee Road in Halifax on Wednesday morning, with some vehicles slamming into each other.

Snoddon said the province will see some lingering flurries and a few more centimetres possible into Thursday morning, especially over eastern areas.

Thursday will be very cold across Nova Scotia with highs in the –8 C to –12 C range and northwest winds gusting near 50 km/h, keeping wind chills in the –15 C to –25 C range.

Snoddon said the active pattern will continue with yet another system looking set to track on Friday. The current timing of the low again looks likely to bring some snow during the afternoon commute.