Students in western Newfoundland were treated to an extra day of Easter vacation on Monday when a blizzard roared through the region.
Schools from Port aux Basques to St. Anthony were closed due to the storm and resulting poor road conditions.
On Monday afternoon, Corner Brook Mayor Jim Parsons said the city was ready for the storm that started Sunday night.
“We’ve had all our equipment out just going at it as fast as we can,” said Parsons.
“Nothing strange. It’s just your typical winter storm.”
Except that this one came in what is supposed to be spring.
“We’ve had such a winter that it feels particularly rough right now,” he said.
While crews were out plowing the roads, Parsons said, the city opted to shut down its non-essential operations for the day, including all offices at city hall.
Elsewhere in the city, many businesses also closed for the day or at least the afternoon as the storm continued. Government offices around the area were also closed.
Road conditions around the region made travelling nearly impossible.
Motorists were advised to stay off the road from Cow Head to Plum Point in the morning, and late in the afternoon equipment was taken off Route 430 of the Northern Peninsula Highway north of Port Saunders. The Department of Transportation and Works was advising that it was too stormy for equipment to operate and the road was blocked in sections.
Route 470, Isle au Morts Road, was also listed as being blocked, with zero visibility.
The storm also shut down Marine Atlantic. All crossings for Monday and those scheduled for today are now set to depart at 9 a.m. from both Port aux Basques and North Sydney.
By mid-afternoon the blizzard and wind warnings had ended for Corner Brook and were replaced with a snow squall watch that was to continue overnight.
A blizzard warning continued for Gros Morne and there was a snow squall warning for Bay St. George and Port aux Basques. A wind warning also continued for Port aux Basques.
Snow flurries are expected to continue throughout the region today.
