Flights cancelled as first blizzard of 2014 bears down on Nova Scotia

HALIFAX – The first blizzard of 2014 is bearing down on Nova Scotia, causing flight cancellations and school closures as Atlantic Canadians bundle up against bone-chilling temperatures.

Environment Canada says the worst is yet to come, with another 10 to 20 centimetres of snow expected Friday across Nova Scotia mixed with strong winds and causing whiteout conditions.

In Halifax, streets are slick from heavy snow that fell overnight and icy temperatures that feel like -25 C with the wind.

The Halifax Stanfield International Airport is reporting a number of delays and cancellations.

There are no power outages to report.

Schools in the city closed for Christmas break aren’t due to open until Monday. But post-secondary institutions, including Dalhousie and St. Mary’s universities, say they’ve shut their campuses down for the day because of the storm.

Forecasters say the blizzard will also bring smaller amounts of snow and strong winds to Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

P.E.I. can expect a windchill of about -30 C Friday. It’s even chillier in New Brunswick where forecasters say it could feel as cold as -40 C.

NB Power said customers who lost their power during a nasty ice storm last month were finally reconnected. However, the utility was reporting new outages Friday affecting a handful of customers.

The blizzard is expected to pass southeast of Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula overnight, dumping 15 to 35 centimetres of snow over southeastern parts of the island mixed with strong winds.

The cold windchill is also being felt in Labrador, where forecasters say it’s expected to feel like -45 C or colder Friday. A blizzard warning is also in effect for parts of Labrador, where between 25 and 50 centimetres of snow is expected by Saturday morning.