About 20 centimetres of snow fell in St. John's overnight Wednesday and into Thursday. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

People in Atlantic Canada are facing school and business closures Thursday morning as a storm hit Eastern Canada overnight after sweeping through Ontario and Quebec.

Environment Canada estimates the storm, which originated in Texas and wreaked havoc on the U.S. Midwest earlier this week, dropped about 20 centimetres of snow on the Avalon and Burin peninsulas before sunrise.

The Clarenville and Bonavista peninsula areas received less snow, but were buffeted with winds of more than 50 kilometres an hour.

Schools in the St. John's area in the Eastern School District are closed, as is Memorial University of Newfoundland. The French School District's L'Ecole des Grands Vents announced its Thursday closure Wednesday evening.

Winter storm warnings remain in place for the Avalon Peninsula as Environment Canada is calling for another five centimetres of snow before it starts tapering off later in the morning. While some businesses are shut, provincial government offices remain open.

Metrobus said all routes in the St. John's area are running, but warned commuters to expect delays.

CBC's Cecil Hare is on the roads of St. John's, and said blowing snow has reduced visibility and made roads slippery.

Nova Scotia digs out

In Nova Scotia, the storm brought nearly 40 centimetres of snow to parts of the province.

According to Environment Canada, Lower Sackville had the highest recorded snowfall amount as of 2 a.m. on Thursday, at 38 centimetres. Dartmouth recorded 35 centimetres and Pictou had 30, while the Halifax Stanfield International Airport recorded 28 centimetres.

Kejimkujik National Park was hit with 27 centimetres, with 26 in Yarmouth and 24 in Sydney after snow began falling Tuesday night. It continued through Wednesday as the low-pressure weather system passed just south of the province.

The Halifax Regional Municipality had 140 to 150 truck plows on the streets Wednesday and overnight, 80 plows, in addition to 75 to 80 graders and loaders, and 75 sidewalk snow-removal crews, were cleaning the roads.

Eastern Canada's woes Thursday follow a snowstorm that wasn't as intense as expected in southern Ontario. But it packed enough of a punch to cause widespread school closures, commuting headaches, and air and road travel disruptions.

The storm hit harder in southern Quebec, where drivers had to deal with blowing snow and low visibility. There were also multiple flight delays and cancellations in Montreal as up to 25 centimetres fell.