HALIFAX — Environment Canada is warning blizzard conditions are set to hit parts of Atlantic Canada, prompting school and office closures but some guarded optimism at snow-starved ski resorts.
The national weather forecaster says snow will begin in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and southern New Brunswick on Monday afternoon, while Newfoundland will start seeing snow through the evening.
Andy MacLean, the general manager of Ski Martock near Windsor, N.S., said in an interview the forecast was dire enough to plan a closure at 4 p.m. on Monday.
"Just looking at the forecast, with the wind forecasted to kick in, we decided to close so staff don't have to travel back and forth," he said. "It's safety first for staff and patrons."
However, after a winter with relatively warm temperatures that has made snowmaking difficult, MacLean said the resort can't wait for the predicted 35 centimetres of snow expected through Monday night and into Tuesday.
"It's unusual but we'll believe it when we see it. We're reserving our euphoria until we see it on the ground," he said.
"We love it when nature provides a good dump of snow like this."
Most school boards in the province announced school closures due to concerns the strong winds and snow will make driving dangerous, and the province says offices in Halifax and across the southwest of the province will close at noon.
Bay Ferries announced it is cancelling crossings between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia due to the weather.
Nova Scotia Power issued a news release saying it will have a full complement of crews and trucks placed strategically across the province and we will begin any needed repairs as soon as conditions are safe.
"Temperatures are expected to be colder for this storm than last weekend’s, so the snow is not expected to be as sticky," says the release.
"This should result in less extensive build-up of snow and ice on trees and electrical equipment. However, strong winds could blow trees and branches onto lines, causing outages."
A second winter system is expected to impact Newfoundland on Tuesday night and into Wednesday with additional snowfall and strong winds.
