Snow covers a Halifax street Friday morning. (Submitted by Tom Crilley)

Thousands of homes and businesses in the Halifax area were without power for several hours as the first snowfall of the season blasted Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Power Inc. reported that 5,807 customers from Hammonds Plains Road to south-end Halifax were without electricity shortly after 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Sir John A. Macdonald High School in Tantallon has been closed for the day because of a power outage.

The company blamed the outages on bad weather conditions and said power should be restored by noon.

Power crews have also restored power to about 500 customers in Pictou County. But about 200 customers in St. Peter's on Cape Breton Island are still without power.

The ferry from Caribou, N.S., to Woods Islands, P.E.I., has been cancelled because of high winds.

The bad weather has also led to the early dismissal of three schools in northern Cape Breton. Students at Cape Smokey Elementary in Ingonish, North Highlands Elementary in Bay St. Lawrence, and Cabot High School in Neils Harbour, have all been sent home.

A school board official said snow and high winds are expected to continue through the afternoon, so it was decided to dismiss the students before travelling became treacherous.

Highways and roads around the Halifax Regional Municipality are covered with wet, slippery snow, prompting the RCMP to urge drivers to slow down.

At least a dozen vehicles have slid off the road. There are no reports of serious injuries.

Meanwhile, several flights at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport have been cancelled or delayed.

A snowfall warning is in effect for the Annapolis Valley and the northern part of the mainland, with up to 15 centimetres expected in high inland areas.

Environment Canada says the Cape Breton Highlands can also expect a lot of snow.

In addition, some areas can expect rain and strong wind gusts.