MONCTON -- Many schools were closed across the Maritimes Tuesday, and dangerous driving conditions were being reported, as a messy mix of snow, rain and ice swept across the region.

All English public schools were closed in New Brunswick, while some French schools were closed. All public schools were closed on Prince Edward Island.

Most schools in southwestern Nova Scotia were closed, along with some schools in the Strait Regional Centre for Education.

The RCMP said some roads were a sheet of ice, noting that several cars slid off highways and roads in Nova Scotia Monday evening.

Videos posted to social media showed pedestrians struggling to navigate slippery sidewalks in the Halifax area.

CTV Atlantic’s chief meteorologist, Kalin Mitchell, said there was a risk of freezing rain for much of the Maritimes Tuesday morning, before turning to rain in the afternoon.

“Central New Brunswick will experience a more prolonged period of snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain on Tuesday, while northern areas of New Brunswick will see mainly snow,” said Mitchell.

“From Fredericton and extending northward across the province, there are expected to be some fairly widespread totals of 15 to 30 cm in the mix of snow and ice pellets. South of Fredericton, the snow amounts will taper lower towards the Bay of Fundy coastline as more freezing rain and rain will be present.”

Mitchell said the remaining mix of snow and rain was expected to clear Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Heavy rainfall in Moncton caused a wet mess for those trying to keep the roads clear.

"When we get a lot of rain like this, what becomes a bit of a challenge is the slush," said Jeff Scott, the city of Moncton public works general foreman. "It's not deep enough to scrape off and sometimes we can end up plugging inlets to the storm system."

Many Maritimers braved the elements with their umbrellas, trying to shield themselves from the freezing rain.

Many newcomers to Moncton and those who were born in warmer climates say this kind of messy weather can be difficult to adapt to.

"This weather comparing to Algeria is colder," said Abdennour Aguev. "Algeria is a warm country. Its not like this cold. It's freezing here!"

Those who work on the roads say they're far from finished.

Salting needed to be re-done to avoid the heavy rain freezing the streets overnight and making for a messy commute Wednesday.