HALIFAX -- Weather-wise, the first Saturday of 2021 began with the arrival of snow in southwestern parts of the Maritimes early in the morning. By the noon hour, everything changed.
“It’s atrocious out there, very slippery,” said driver Bob Kunzl in the Halifax-area. “I actually pulled off and pulled into Tim Hortons to grab a coffee, clean off my windshield, and go back at it.”
On the first weekend of the new year, a winter wallop brought wind, rain, and snow to various parts of the Maritimes.
“The snow is heavy; it’s wet,” said Kunzl. “It’s really slick out there, and I don’t have much weight in the back of the truck, so I’m sliding all over the place.”
In parts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, the snow was expected to accumulate quickly, making driving difficult and dangerous.
“Take your time, slow down; the road conditions can change while you’re out there,” said Nova Scotia RCMP Cpl. Lisa Croteau. “There is snow falling across the province.”
By mid-afternoon, Nova Scotia RCMP responded to a number of minor accidents.
“It’s really rough. The salters haven’t been out yet. I can hear sirens in the background; there have been a couple of accidents,” said Lucas Gausdan.
In southern New Brunswick, snow led to reduced visibility on roads once winds picked up in the province. Conditions prompted emergency officials to warn drivers to be cautious if they had to be outside.
Additionally, in Saint John, deteriorating conditions caused Saint John Transit to pull its busses off the road, suspending service by 4 p.m.
With more snowstorms expected in the future, RCMP recommends that everyone have a roadside emergency kit in the vehicles at all times.
Meanwhile, some residents were left in the dark, with Nova Scotia Power reporting several hundred customers without electricity by Saturday evening.
