Students in Atlantic Canada are getting an extra long weekend as schools across the region announced they would be closing ahead of a messy mix of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain.
All regional centres for education in Nova Scotia announced Tuesday morning shortly before 6 a.m. that they would be closing for the day.
All schools under the Conseil Scholaire Acadien Provincial CSAP) will also be closed Tuesday, along with Halifax Grammar School and Sacred Heart School.
All Anglophone and Francophone schools in New Brunswick also announced they would be closing, as 25 centimetres of snow is expected between Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
Freezing rain warnings are in effect for all of Nova Scotia. Periods of snow and ice pellets will start early Tuesday and then change to a prolonged period of ice pellets and freezing rain later in the day.
Environment Canada says the greatest impacts from the freezing rain will be over inland areas and in northern portions of the province.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery,” Environment Canada said in a special weather statement. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.”
Freezing rain warnings are issued when rain falling in sub-zero temperatures creates ice build-up and icy surfaces.
Nova Scotia Community College’s Metro campuses will delay opening until 11 a.m., with an update expected at 10 a.m.
Halifax Transit says it’s prepared to implement its snow plan in the event of road conditions becoming too icy, but no routes have been re-routed as of 8:30 a.m.
The Halifax Regional Municipality says many recreation facilities will delay opening until at least noon today.
The Halifax Public Gardens will also remain closed.