Another weather system prompts more power outages, school closures and collisions

Another weather system is bringing heavy rain, wind and snow to the Maritimes, resulting in more power outages, school closures and collisions Tuesday.

Nova Scotia Power’s outage map was showing 179 outages affecting about 7,500 customers as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

There are outages across the province, but most are being reported in the Halifax and Cape Breton areas.

Some Nova Scotians have been off the grid since the weekend, when a winter storm brought freezing rain to the province, knocking down trees and power lines.

Nova Scotia Power says restoration crews have been working around the clock, but they have been battling cold temperatures, high winds, heavy rain and difficult driving conditions.

“So we didn’t see much melt. All of that ice built up on trees and weighed those trees down on the power lines, and in some cases multiple trees in a single location,” said Matt Drover, a spokesperson with Nova Scotia Power.

At its peak, 120,000 customers were without power due to the weekend storm, which started Friday.

Nova Scotia Power says this is the sixth major storm it has dealt with since the start of the new year. The utility has 600 people on the ground working with support from line workers from New Brunswick.

"Removing the ice from those trees has been challenging, so getting those trees out of the way to get the power back on and getting access to do that has been challenging,” says Drover.

Nova Scotia’s emergency management minister says the latest ice storm has tested Nova Scotians’ resolve and he’s concerned about the response from Nova Scotia Power.

“At the height of the storm there were 120,000 people without electricity and now we’ve gotten it down to a small number, but we’re actually having more inclement weather and that number is starting to grow again,” said John Lohr, the minister responsible for the Emergency Management Office.

Comfort centers have been set up in communities affected by prolonged outages.

Lohr says they will continue to work with Nova Scotia Power to minimize the impact of the storm and ensure power gets restored in a reasonable amount of time.

“I’m sure that in the aftermath of what we’ve been through this winter already, and who knows what’s to come, we will be looking at that and yes, we are concerned about that,” says Lohr.

NB Power was reporting seven outages affecting over 800 customers as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

According to Maritime Electric's power outage map, there were 308 customers without power on P.E.I. as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

WEATHER WARNINGS IN EFFECT

Environment Canada has issued rainfall and wind warnings in Kings and Queens counties on P.E.I., while Prince County is under a snowfall warning.

Rainfall and wind warnings are in effect across Nova Scotia, while Victoria County is under a winter storm warning.

Snowfall warnings are in effect in the following New Brunswick communities:

• Acadian Peninsula
• Bathurst and Chaleur region
• Kent County
• Kouchibouguac National Park
• Miramichi and surrounding area

CTV Atlantic Chief Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell says rain will turn back to snow in southern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and parts of Nova Scotia Tuesday evening and night. The snow is expected to clear through Wednesday morning.

Mitchell says northeastern New Brunswick, western P.E.I. and the Cape Breton Highlands could see totals of 15 to 25 centimetres of snow by Wednesday morning. Other areas of New Brunswick can expect between five and 15 centimetres of snow.

Nova Scotia is expected to receive the most rain. The Atlantic coastline and eastern portions of Nova Scotia have the greatest chance of seeing rain amounts of up to or in excess of 50 millimetres.

CLASSES CANCELLED, BUS LEAVES THE ROAD

Snow in New Brunswick prompted a number of school closures across the province.

Several P.E.I. and Nova Scotia schools were also closed Tuesday due to weather conditions, while some school buses were travelling on paved roads only.

Schools remained open on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, where a school bus slid off the road in Pine Grove, N.S., Tuesday morning.

Ashley Gallant, communications co-ordinator for the South Shore Regional Centre for Education, says the bus was headed for West Northfield Elementary School at the time. There were 17 students on the bus but no one was injured.

Police and first responders responded to the scene as a precaution, parents were notified, and another bus was called in to take the students to school.

“Safety is always our top priority and we take great care in the decision to cancel school. Our staff consult various resources before the decision is made, including professional weather forecasts, Nova Scotia Public Works, and checking road conditions firsthand,” said Gallant in a statement to CTV News.

“This morning, after reviewing weather forecasts along with current and forecasted road conditions, the decision was made to keep schools open but implement back road closure plans. This means, buses do not travel on back roads.

“Nova Scotia weather can change quickly and can be challenging to predict. We make the best decision we can at the time, with the information available and safety is always the deciding factor.”

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Transit Cape Breton pulled its buses off the road due to deteriorating road conditions.

COLLISIONS AND FLOODING

The wet, windy and wintry weather prompted police across the Maritimes to warn motorists about dangerous driving conditions.

Emergency crews responded to several collisions on 100-series highways coming into Halifax, including a four-vehicle collision that snarled traffic near Enfield, N.S.

Heavy rain made driving in Halifax challenging while the downpour created localized flooding in low-lying areas.

The Nova Scotia Department of Public Works warned of pooling water and flooding in Annapolis, Kings and Hants counties.

Geoffrey Downey with New Brunswick's Emergency Management Office (EMO) says the biggest concern with a mix of snow and rain is localized flooding.

"We're not looking at spring flooding at this point, but certainly around people's houses," said Downey. "Anytime you get this combination, water can pool around the foundation and that can certainly create some issues for people."

Conrad Landry, the chief of the Moncton Fire Department and the director of emergency measures, says power outages and the possibility of fires are his department's two main concerns.

Landry says residents should stay home Tuesday night if they can, adding that unnecessary outings may result in collisions that could tie up emergency resources.

Fredericton's assistant manager of roadway operations says crews are focusing on removing snow and slush from the roads before entering another cold night.

"We're ready for it. We've got our salt trucks ready to go," said Brent Grant, assistant manager of roadway operations in Fredericton. "They'll go home and get some rest and we're in the neighbourhoods plowing now to try and get some of this off before it gets too bad."

Downey asks residents to be patient as crews work as fast as they can to clear roadways.

"Road crews are out working a lot. They also need some down time, so give yourself time to get to places," he said. "There may be delays. Things may not be running like they usually are, so we're counting on everyone to stay informed and to be patient."

Downey says as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, it has already received reports of water pooling on roads.