March roared in like a lion Monday in every corner of the Maritimes, including those areas that escaped the storm on the weekend.

Many schools were closed and travel was disrupted Monday as another winter storm swept across the Maritimes.

Snow started falling over southwestern Nova Scotia early Monday morning, spreading across the province and into New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island throughout the day.

The blustery mix of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain enveloped Prince Edward Island, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was forced to remain grounded for a few hours after making a funding announcement just after noon.

Public schools on Prince Edward Island were closed, along with the University of Prince Edward Island, and all Holland College locations.

In Nova Scotia, heavy snow changed to ice pellets and freezing rain in the afternoon.

The weather prompted closures and early dismissals at most schools the province. Only students at schools in the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education spent a full day in the classroom.

Most Nova Scotia Community College campuses were closed for the day, while some closed Monday afternoon.

The weather didn’t affect public schools in New Brunswick, where students are enjoying March Break. However, some university students enjoyed a snow day. The University of New Brunswick closed its Saint John and Moncton campuses, Mount Allison University was closed, and the New Brunswick Community College campuses were closed in Moncton, Miramichi, and Saint John.

The wintry weather also affected transit across the region. Saint John Transit cancelled service at 10:30 a.m. The Kings Transit Authority cancelled service for the day, while several Halifax Transit buses were operating on snow routes.

Flights were delayed or cancelled at many Maritime airports, with travellers being urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Marine Atlantic cancelled its crossings between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

This was the second system to hit the Maritimes in as many days. A storm passed through the region Saturday night into Sunday morning, dumping between 10 and 40 centimetres of snow in some areas.

Heavy snow and high winds continued to batter much of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island while the storm turned to ice pellets and freezing rain in some parts of Nova Scotia.

Too much snow created lots of travel issues, especially on New Brunswick highways. At the height of the storm, police were advising motorists to stay off highway number one, the main road through the southern part of the province.

In the city, pedestrians fought through wind and white, though traffic was relatively light.   Transit busses were taken off the road.

Some stores, offices and businesses didn't open at all today. Of those that did, many closed early, throwing in the towel when weather conditions worsened.

“I grew up on the East Coast,” said Saint John resident Trevor Lee. “I know what winter was like when I was a kid. I spent 28 years in Toronto where I got spoiled, and it's good to be home.  I missed it.”

Colder temperatures were in the forecast for Monday evening and Tuesday morning, which added some urgency to shoveling.

"If it freezes over later, that's why we need to do this right now because otherwise you'll have an ice formation that can damage the underneath of cars,” said Saint John resident Don Carr.

On the Nova Scotia side of the storm, there was lots of snow along the Fundy coast and in northern areas.  In the southwest and along the Atlantic coast, it was a messy mix of snow, ice pellets and rain.

It followed less than 36 hours after Saturday’s storm that saw significant snowfall in much of Nova Scotia.

Jeffry Gray spent the morning helping to clear driveways for seniors in his neighbourhood.

“I'm out shovelling for the seniors,” Gray said. “I like that they have as much opportunity as I do to get out and enjoy the weather.”

With snow covered roads, it was a slow commute for many in the morning.

Road conditions only worsened through the day, as snow changed to ice pellets around noon.

It wasn't just motorists who had to deal with the messy mix of weather, so too did pedestrians.

“It's really bad,” said Shawn Irvine.“Stepping through a bunch of puddles and crossing roads and everything. My feet are getting wet. It's not good.”

Not everyone seemed to mind the latest blast of winter. Many schools were cancelled, which meant kids had the day off.

“I'm going sledding,” said Marcel Grant of Halifax.“I'm trying to get back up but it's really hard.”

Some university students had to make the trek into school however.

“I had a class around 8 o'clock in the morning. I actually had a midterm for 12:30. I wasn't sure if it was going to be cancelled or not but at 11 o'clock they said it was cancelled. Then I came out to this, it was actually a lot worse than I thought."

As municipal crews continue work to clear the roads, the winter parking ban will be enforced overnight,

“Ensuring your vehicles are off the road, even today, can make a big difference to ensure that we're clearing the streets as quickly & safely as possible,” said Eric DiCarlo, a spokeswoman for Halifax Regional Municipality.

Vehicles can be ticketed or towed if they interfere with snow clearing.

Municipal crews have been working to clear catch basins in flood prone areas of the city today. Anyone who notices flooding in Halifax is asked to contact 311.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Cameron and Natasha Pace.