Weather warnings are out for the Atlantic provinces as a major snowstorm is forecast to hit the region overnight.
A low pressure system from south of Cape Cod is expected to rapidly intensify overnight bringing blizzard conditions and winds up to 110 km/h to Nova Scotia.
Total snowfall amounts by Monday evening will range from 35 to 55 centimetres for the western and eastern portions of Nova Scotia, and 35 to 45 centimetres in Cape Breton.
The pending storm had many in Halifax preparing on Sunday.
“The line ups are half way down the aisles and people are definitely stocking up to be besieged,” said Maggie Blaney.
Emergency crews say they’ll be on standby.
“We’re going to be out in full force tonight,” said Trevor Harvie of HRM Winter Operations. “It’s definitely going to be a challenging storm for everyone, operators and the public.”
Two hundred pieces of equipment will be on the roads in the capital with the focus on clearing the main arteries first. A parking ban is also in effect in Halifax.
Nova Scotia Power says more than 100 power line crews, 28 tree trimming crews and 30 damage estimate teams are on standby.
“We’re expecting the most severe storm of this winter,” said Beverly Ware of Nova Scotia Power. “Heavy, wet snow is going to stick to electrical equipment and to trees and branches so that with the very strong winds is expecting to cause outages.”
Snowfall amounts between 25 and 55 centimetres are expected in much of New Brunswick, with winds gusting up to 100 km/h, while 10 to 15 centimetres of snow, driven by winds up to 80 km/h are expected in P.E.I.
NB Power says their primary worry going into this storm is not the snow.
“What we're really watching for now is the high winds that have been forecast in the southern half of the province,” said Deb Nobes of NB Power. “Weather forecasters are calling for up to 100 km/h winds which sometimes can cause issues for us.”
NB Power crews are being positioned along the Bay of Fundy coast from St. Stephen to Moncton.
“We have about 25 contract crews in addition to our regular compliment, and were also moving some damage assessment teams and also logistical staff,” Nobes said.
The storm is expected to hit Newfoundland on Monday night, with snow accumulations up to 25 centimetres and gusts exceeding 100 km/h in some areas.
Police say travel is not recommended during the storm, noting that roads are expected to be extremely hazardous due to widespread poor visibility, and numerous flights in and out of the region have been cancelled.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelly Linehan and Nick Moore.
