A day after a spring storm battered parts of Atlantic Canada with hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy snowfall, blizzard-like conditions and low visibility continued to cause problems.
Across the East Coast, residents remained without power as wind-whipped snow caused zero-visibility on roads and slowed cleanup and power restoration efforts.
At the height of the storm, which descended on Atlantic Canada Wednesday afternoon, power outages left about 16,000 Nova Scotians in the dark, along with about 2,400 homes and businesses in southern New Brunswick and 900 in Prince Edward Island.
Wind warnings remained in effect Thursday for parts of Nova Scotia and P.E.I., with wind gusts of up to 100 km/h in the forecast.
Officials said the strong winds slowed efforts to restore power. Blowing snow and whiteout conditions made it difficult for hydro crews to reach some areas affected by the storm, CTV’s Atlantic Bureau Chief Todd Battis reported Thursday morning.
Many Maritime roads remained snow-covered Thursday, prompting a second day of school closures across Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and southern New Brunswick.
Airlines were back to normal routines at Maritime airports after Wednesday’s storm grounded most flights. Many flights are still delayed or cancelled, however, and travelers are encouraged to check their status before heading to the airport.
“Visibility is no longer an issue, the airfield is in good condition, so we’re doing everything we can to help the airlines get their aircraft back on schedule,” said Peter Spurway, spokesperson for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Spurway said it would likely take most of Thursday to get all flight schedules back on track as officials worked to clear a backlog of passengers.
In many areas of the region, roads were snow-covered and slippery with the Trans-Canada Highway between Truro and Amherst in Nova Scotia closed until early Thursday.
P.E.I. was blanketed with 53 centimetres of snow in some areas. The RCMP in P.E.I. asked drivers to stay home because of high winds of up to 100 kilometres an hour as road crews worked to clear highways. The Mounties said some roads remained impassable Thursday morning.
Most government offices and businesses were closed in the Maritimes on Wednesday and some government offices and businesses delayed their openings Thursday to allow for snow removal.
Charlottetown's Queen Elizabeth Hospital cancelled all non-emergency surgeries Thursday and limited clinic appointments.
The Confederation Bridge linking P.E.I. and New Brunswick was closed to all traffic Thursday morning. The bridge reopened Thursday afternoon, but certain vehicles are still restricted from crossing.
The Canso Causeway, which links Cape Breton Island to mainland Nova Scotia, was shut down for several hours Thursday, although some vehicles were being escorted across the causeway. The Nova Scotia Department of Transportation said the causeway reopened to all vehicles around 2:30 p.m. Gusts reached 172 kilometres per hour in parts of Cape Breton Wednesday.
The Pictou Causeway in Nova Scotia's Pictou County was also closed for several hours Thursday. It reopened around 4:30 p.m.
A winter parking ban remains in effect in Halifax; motorists are required to keep their cars off streets between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. to allow for snow removal operations.
Metro Transit advised users to expect delays and the municipality warned residents that “crews have not been able to meet service standards for clearing the sidewalks and bus stops.”
A city spokesperson said crews would continue working until all sidewalks and bus stops are clear and safe from snow and ice.
Ferocious winds ripped the roof from an apartment building in the Fairview area of Halifax overnight. Residents said they heard loud noises around 3:30 a.m. and it wasn’t long before the entire roof came off the building and was thrown to the ground.
Repairs are estimated at $250,000.
“The reports I have, it sounded like an earthquake or something going on up above them, was rumbling and the noise was just terrible,” said Harold Marryatt, who manages the property on Main Avenue.
The Halifax Regional Municipality said more than 40 centimetres of snow fell on parts of the city Wednesday and overnight into Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press
