Environment

Maritime blizzard halts travel in Atlantic Canada

by Amy Judd | January 1, 2009 at 10:41 am

789 views | 25 Recommendations | 10 comments

A New Year's winter blizzard has swept through the Maritimes in Atlantic Canada, and is causing some New Year's chaos for travelers.

About 35 centimetres of snow has already been dumped in Halifax, so the airport has been shut down, and all flights were cancelled after the wind gusts reached about 80 km an hour.

At Charlottetown Airport, the flights are either delayed or just cancelled.

The storm has also closed off The Confederation Bridge between P.E.I and New Bruswick to high-sided vehicles. It's also knocked out power to 2,600 customers in eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.

Strong winds sweeping across the Canso causeway may cut off Cape Breton Island residents from the mainland today.

The worst of the storm is expected to hit eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, which are expected to be dumped with as much as 60 centimetres of snow in some areas.

The Canadian Government has issued blizzard warnings for parts of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton today, which also have high water level warnings as well.
The combination of both these things could mean lower coastal flooding later today and tonight.
As the storm was predicted in advance, many people were ready for this next blast of winter.

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Uwe Paschen

at 10:47 on January 1st, 2009

Sorry for those that are cut in it.

Beast from the east

at 11:04 on January 1st, 2009

It was too bad out that you couldn't even go outside.The winds were rocking my trailer.

Beast from the east has contributed a photo to this story.

158

at 11:44 on January 1st, 2009

This is not unusual in the winter. That is one reason

I don't move to Canada.

Beast from the east

at 11:50 on January 1st, 2009

We usually don't get this much snow all at once.We have some storms but not often.We get more rain than anything else in our winters the last few years.

Alida Antonia Cornelius

at 12:20 on January 1st, 2009

The weather is the ONLY reason I would not like to live in Canada....I just love hot weather so I can go swimming as much as possible outdoors.

harringtola

at 20:52 on January 1st, 2009

Having just gotten my power back after the Ice Storm in the North East USA, I hope this storm in Canada does not have similar impact. It has been extremely cold here most of the time since and we have had a couple of snow storms as well. Looks like a long winter for this of us in the north.

AllyCatt

at 09:41 on January 2nd, 2009

Nova Scotia is loved by those who choose to have contentment and warmth in their lives, we can handle a little snow!

Go Maritimers.

Jen Stotland

at 07:10 on January 3rd, 2009

Here's hoping the blizzard kept some drunken revellers off the roads but according to some taxi drivers it was a treacherous night. I didn't leave my house for 24 hours. I think it snowed continuously for more like 36 hours, with more on the night of the 2'nd!

Jen Stotland has contributed a photo to this story.

Jen Stotland

at 07:12 on January 3rd, 2009

To harringtola, an ice storm is very different from a blizzard, as it's not likely we'll lose power or have tree branches fall on our cars! I've experienced the ice storm in Montreal of '98 so I know how much we've come to depend on electricity! Scary! We are cozy and warm indoors in Halifax.