CBCnews
Story Tools: EMAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | Bookmark and Share

New year brings in nasty weather for Canadians

Last Updated: Thursday, January 1, 2009 | 9:58 PM ET

A New Year's Day blizzard hit Bayswater, on Nova Scotia's south shore. A New Year's Day blizzard hit Bayswater, on Nova Scotia's south shore. (Submitted by Daryl Gray)

Snow, strong winds and bitterly cold temperatures gave Canadians good reason to spend New Year's Day indoors.

According to forecasts issued Thursday night, conditions were expected to worsen in parts of Atlantic Canada until early Friday.

A fierce blizzard that whacked Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island overnight Thursday caused power outages and cancelled flights, thanks to blowing snow and high wind gusts throughout the day.

Forecasters predicted eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton would get the worst of the blizzard — between 40 and 60 cm by the end of the day.

Cape Breton was expected to receive an even bigger blast of snow by early Friday.

A cyclist rides past the Old Town Clock on Citadel Hill during a blizzard in Halifax on Thursday. A cyclist rides past the Old Town Clock on Citadel Hill during a blizzard in Halifax on Thursday. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

Almost 11,000 customers in Nova Scotia were without power Thursday night, mostly in Cape Breton.

Utility spokeswoman Glennie Langille said crews were battling strong winds and whiteout conditions through the night.

"One of the challenges with high winds and snow is problem trees — trees touching lines, trees coming down on lines," Langille said.

"It's a severe winter storm."

Many departures and arrivals at Halifax Stanfield International Airport were cancelled, while several New Year's Day levees have also been called off, including all military, the mayor's and lieutenant-governor's levees.

The storm system will move toward Newfoundland and Labrador later Thursday.

In P.E.I., snowplows were pulled off the roads early Thursday morning because of blowing snow and near-zero visibility. Authorities are warning people to stay off the roads.

"The roads were icy and snow covered," said CBC's Sara Fraser. "It was a bit of a horror story getting to [work] and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to leave any time soon."

Most flights in or out of the Charlottetown Airport have been cancelled or delayed, while the Confederation Bridge, which links the Island with New Brunswick, is closed to high-sided vehicles.

P.E.I. was expected to receive anywhere from 15 to 45 centimetres of snow, while wind gusts could reach as high as 100 km/h.

Stormy Prairies

Snow piles up in Charlottetown on New Year's Day. Snow piles up in Charlottetown on New Year's Day. (Tracy Lightfoot/CBC)

An Alberta Clipper brought snow and high winds to southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba overnight and into Thursday.

Regina and Dauphin remain under blizzard warnings, but the system is expected to weaken Thursday afternoon as it moves into northern Ontario. Thunder Bay could see about five centimetres of snow.

About 5 centimetres of snow has fallen on Vancouver, but is expected to change to rain later this afternoon. The coast will see strong winds throughout the day.

Most of Canada also reported freezing conditions with the wind chill Thursday, including:

  • Edmonton: –33 C
  • Regina: –35 C
  • Montreal: –29 C
  • Fredericton: –28 C
  • Yellowknife: –41 C

Victoria was the country's hot spot, reporting a wind chill that felt like zero.

CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said Canadians can blame the jet stream, a narrow band of strong winds in the atmosphere that control the movement of high and low-pressure systems.

"The jet stream is riding very low and pulling down that Arctic air," said Wagstaffe.

With files from the Canadian Press
  •  
Story Tools: EMAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACK | Bookmark and Share
 

Canada Headlines

Afghan prisoner transfers halted 'more than 1 time' Video
Canadian officials have halted the transfer of prisoners to Afghanistan's intelligence service "more than one time," because of the possibility of torture, Canada's chief of defence staff said Sunday.
Teens named in 4-death crash near Calgary
Police have released the names of three young women killed in a two-vehicle crash south of Calgary on Saturday afternoon, but have yet to reveal the name of a fourth woman who died.
Vancouver Island residents survey flood damage Video
Hundreds of people on south Vancouver Island forced from their homes by flooding have been allowed to return, but most won't be able to stay because of damage to their houses.
Search reveals no sign of Halifax sailor
Another day of searching for a missing 68-year-old sailor from Halifax ended Sunday and officials were expected to decide overnight whether to continue their efforts.
PQ leader vows to halt erosion of French
Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois promised Sunday to crack down on what her party calls the erosion of the French language in Montreal, a move she says will serve to preserve a relative linguistic peace in the province.

People who read this also read …

Top CBCNews.ca Headlines

Headlines

Iranian-Canadian journalist talks of prison ordeal Video
Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari says he was regularly beaten and threatened with execution while imprisoned in Iran for 118 days.
Afghan prisoner transfers halted 'more than 1 time' Video
Canadian officials have halted the transfer of prisoners to Afghanistan's intelligence service "more than one time," because of the possibility of torture, Canada's chief of defence staff said Sunday.
Indonesian ferry sinks in storm
Rescuers saved more than 240 people aboard an Indonesian passenger ferry that sank Sunday in rough waters off Sumatra island, but at least 29 people have died, officials said.
Iranian forces practise defending nuke sites
Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting the country's nuclear facilities against any possible attack, state television reported.
Teens named in 4-death crash near Calgary
Police have released the names of three young women killed in a two-vehicle crash south of Calgary on Saturday afternoon, but have yet to reveal the name of a fourth woman who died.