P.E.I. schools closed as snow starts to fall
CBC
Public schools on P.E.I. have cancelled classes for the day with a snowfall warning in effect in Prince and Queens counties.
Holland College has also cancelled claasses for the day and UPEI is delaying opening. Some provincial civil service offices are also delaying opening.
Plow dispatchers are already reporting snow-covered roads in Kings and Prince counties, with some slushy conditions in Prince. Roads are partly snow-covered in Queens.
Snow has been falling throughout the early morning hours. Heavier snow is expected before 7 a.m., with snowfall at times heavy for much of the day. There is a possibility the snow will mix with rain starting in the late afternoon.
"We're going to look at a little bit of everything here, certainly for the eastern half of the Island," said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.
"Trying to nail down the exact amount of snow versus rain is going to be tricky, but it is going to be messy,"
Snowfall of 20 to 25 centimetres is forecast for Prince and Queens counties. In Kings County, where a special weather statement is in effect, the shift to rain is expected to last longer and the snow will not be as heavy. Only 10 to 15 centimetres of snow is forecast. There is a risk of a brief period of freezing rain the transition, said Scotland.
Winds Monday will blow at 40 with gusts to 60. The snow will be heavy, said Scotland, and not prone to blowing or drifting, but the wind will be strong enough to move it aournd some.
Any rain will turn back to snow Tuesday morning before the storm passes on. The wind could gust as high as 80 Tuesday morning, and with the precipitation falling as snow across P.E.I. that could bring further trouble.
"Even with lighter flurries, as this is all tapering off Tuesday morning, blowing snow will remain a concern," said Scotland.
The snowfall will end and winds ease somewhat by noon Tuesday.