Delays, cancellations as Halifax deals with latest round of winter weather

A snowfall warning is in effect for Halifax as a messy mix of rain and snow tracks across our region.

NEWS 95.7 meteorologist Richard Zurawski said Friday that the region was looking at about 10 to 20 centimetres of snow, continuing through Friday evening before tapering off overnight.

Conditions started to deteriorate shortly after 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon after falling temperatures changed the morning rain into heavy wet afternoon snow.

A school bus carrying three children went off the road in Conrod Settlement, as a winter storm made for treacherous driving in the Halifax area just ahead of rush hour.

Cpl. Jadie Spence of the RCMP said neither the children nor driver were injured when the Stock Transportation bus slid off the road and into a ditch around 2:30 p.m.

Spence said road conditions in the Halifax area deteriorated quickly as rain turned to ice when temperatures dropped, before being coated with snow.

A vehicle was also rear-ended on Cobequid Road in Lower Sackville around 3:00 p.m. which temporarily closed the road, though police said injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Halifax Regional Police responded to several other traffic incidents as conditions worsened Friday afternoon.

Jennifer Stairs, spokesperson for Halifax Regional Municipality, told NEWS 95.7 earlier Friday that crews were ready for the latest round of winter.

HRM will also be enforcing the parking ban overnight from 1 to 6 a.m. Saturday and ask drivers to find off-street parking for their vehicles.

They also warn officers will be ticketing any vehicles that get in the way of sidewalk clearing, including cars hanging out of driveways or parked on sidewalks.

Stairs recommends transit users monitor the @hfxtransit Twitter account for any changes to bus routes.

After we get through this storm, the weather gets better to begin February.

Zurawski said mild temperatures are on the way with temperatures hovering between 3 and 8 degrees Sunday to Wednesday.

 

CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSURES:

TRANSPORTATION:

-Parking ban to be enforced overnight from 1 – 6 a.m. Saturday

-The Macdonald Bridge will remain open until 5 p.m. Sunday as this weekend’s The Big Lift closure is cancelled due to weather

-Halifax Stanfield International Airport is warning passengers to check flights with airlines for schedule changes.

-Marine Atlantic says 11:45 p.m. ferry between North Sydney and Port aux Basques is now scheduled to run at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, although they warn the rescheduled departure could also be impacted

-Marine Atlantic says 11:45 p.m. ferry between Port aux Basques and North Sydney is now scheduled to run at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, although they warn the rescheduled departure could also be impacted

HEALTH CARE:

-The Family Focus Medical Clinic will close down their Spring Garden Road location at 4:30 p.m. and warns they may have to shut down other clinics early

GOVERNMENT:

-All of the province’s government buildings in the Halifax area are closed as of 3 o’clock.

-Access N.S. Centres in Halifax, Dartmouth and Sackville are also closed.

-The Community Design Advisory Committee meeting scheduled for later this morning has been cancelled

 EVENTS:

-Hali-Wood Squares postponed to March 4th

-Halifax Curling Club re-opening celebration postponed to Saturday

-The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is closed with Friday night’s ARTPARTY event cancelled and rescheduled to Friday, February 5th, from 8pm-to-midnight.

-The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Museum of Natural History, and Nova Scotia Archives in Halifax are closed.