A powerful storm pummelled Atlantic Canada on Thursday, shutting down everything from schools to bridges with an intense mix of high winds, rain and snow.
“This is definitely a very serious and very intense winter system,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard.
While parts of Nova Scotia were whipped by wind and rains amid temperatures well above freezing, New Brunswickers faced heavy snow that made it impossible to see across the street.
WATCH: Massive snowfall shuts down New Brunswick capital.
“If you are in your home and don’t need to travel, don’t travel,” said Greg MacCallum, director of New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Organization, who called it a “serious storm.”
Environment Canada warned that people should not attempt to travel across flooded roads because shallow, fast-moving water can sweep a vehicle away.
READ MORE: Up-to-date storm coverage as intense winter storm approaches Atlantic Canada
The agency issued warnings for everything from wind and rain to blizzards and storm surges along much of the Atlantic coast.
“It’s the whole spectrum of weather with this system – you pick a weather and it’s forecast somewhere in Atlantic Canada, it seems,” said Hubbard.
The federal agency had issued a range of winter storm warnings and watches for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, saying the low-pressure system would bring fierce winds that could gust up to about 130 kilometres an hour and snowfall amounts of up to 40 centimetres.
The severe weather prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to urge Atlantic Canadians to be vigilant.
“To everyone in Atlantic Canada – stay safe, stay indoors, and stay updated on the latest,” he said on Twitter, linking to the Environment Canada website.
All of New Brunswick was under a winter storm warning and the central and northern parts of the province were expected to see roughly 40 centimetres of snow, along with wind gusts of up to 90 km/h in some areas.
WATCH: Maritimes brace for intense winter storm, hurricane-force winds expected
MacCallum said NB Power added extra crews and pre-positioned them in areas of the province where outages were likely to occur. The utility was reporting about 1,400 outages as of about 4 p.m.
MacCallum also warned about the dangers of carbon monoxide, and said people should have carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.
“If not, be aware of the threat and avoid doing things like cooking over open flames, using generators near the house or in a garage. These things produce carbon monoxide gas and it will kill people,” he said.
Two people died and others were hospitalized during an ice storm that hit the province in January of last year.
MacCallum said EMO is working with the Red Cross to identify warming centres and shelters in the event people are left without power for an extended time.
– With files from Kevin Bissett in Fredericton, Michael MacDonald in Halifax, and The Associated Press
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