Winter storm forces school closures in parts of the Maritimes

Winter storm warnings remain in effect for much of the Maritimes as a snowstorm has forced the closure of schools in parts of Nova Scotia and P.E.I.

Up to 40 centimetres of snow is in the forecast for eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, where winds gusting at up to 100 kilometres per hour will make travel treacherous.

Some government offices in Cape Breton have been closed and about 6,000 homes and businesses on the island and the eastern mainland are without power, most of them in Antigonish, Guysborough and Sydney.

Across P.E.I., up to 30 centimetres of snow is expected as the winds gust up to 90 kilometres per hour.

Meanwhile, winter storm warnings and snowfall warnings have been issued for much of eastern and northern New Brunswick, where the storm is expected to dump between 15 and 20 centimetres of snow, starting later today.

The snow in New Brunswick will become mixed with or change to rain overnight, and strong winds will produce blowing snow this evening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2022.