Heavy snow causing trouble for plows

It is going to take some time to get all the roads and streets open after the Islander Day blizzard Sunday and Monday.

Hope that we've got a single track through most streets in the city by the end of the day.- Paul Johnson, City of Charlottetown

It was a record-breaking snowfall, 86.8 centimetres in the storm, and the snow is also very heavy, said Darren Chaisson, provincial director of highway maintenance.

"It's just very slow going. Our plows are encountering seven, eight foot drifts, and it's hard-packed snow. It's not easy to move," said Chaisson.

"I noticed out in the yard here you can almost walk over the drifts without snowshoes, so it's just very hard with our equipment. With our standard truck plows they just can't move, so we've had blowers and loaders, C plows, just trying to poke holes through it."

Schools are closed, provincial civil service offices are not operating. Some civic government services are delayed.

Many secondary roads are not yet open, and the Department of Transportation is urging caution and patience. It also says if you have no reason to travel stay home. Less traffic will make it easier to get the roads clear.

Maritime Electric says there have 620 customers without power in 17 communities. Because of the difficulties with travel the utility does not expect to have all power restored Tuesday.

Charlottetown is also struggling to clear the heavy snow. Many of the main roads are done, and Charlottetown Transit says it will be operating on University Avenue. Side streets, however, are a different story.

"Hope that we've got a single track through most streets in the city by the end of the day," said public works manager Paul Johnson.

"In some areas that is just going to be that single track. Still tough going for smaller cars probably."

The city implemented a 72-hour parking ban Monday to keep vehicles off the street as they clear snow.

Blizzard conditions Monday forced plows off the streets even in Charlottetown, and that has created bigger problems, said Johnson. Crews are normally able to get started while snow is still falling, but it was able to build into large drifts during this storm.