A messy mix of wild weather in the Maritimes is expected to make for treacherous driving in the region through Thursday evening.
After a series of major winter storms, rain and warming temperatures on Thurday created soupy streets in the Halifax area.
Localized flooding has turned some roads into rivers, and a flash-freeze expected for Thursday night could lead to slippery streets for evening commuters.
On many streets, below the backed-up water lie storm drains blocked by ice and snow.
Some residents have taken matters into their own hands.
“We're trying to clean some of the drains around here. They’ve frozen up,” said Allen MacKenzie as he hacked away at one such drain in Bedford.
“I'm a little up the street from my son's location, but his basement floods when the drains get plugged up and the city hasn’t been forthright in coming to clean some of these up,” he said.
Darrin Natolino, head of Halifax’ winter operations, says the city’s snow-clearing crews are out in full force.
“We do have crews out there trying to open up as many of those (drains) as possible, knowing full well we’re going back into a deep freeze tonight with more snow on the way,” said Natolino.
“So conditions will likely deteriorate before getting much better,” he said.
Meanwhile, the late arrival of wintry weather is wreaking havoc on snow-removal budgets.
“Every time the plows are out, every time you're in a queue for salt, every time you've got your resources expended to the max, it's a budgetary implication — that's the reality,” said Nova Scotia transportation minister Geoff MacLellan.
The province has budgeted more than $56 million for snow removal this season.
Last year, storms late in the season ended up costing taxpayers nearly $70 million to keep the roads cleared.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Marie Adsett
