Harsh winds, cold on the way after Tuesday's wintry weather

Poor weather and road conditions forced schools in New Brunswick to close early on Tuesday, as parts of the province got afirst taste of winter roughly six weeks before the season changes.

Environment Canada said Tuesday's wintry weather will be followed by harsh winds and cold on Wednesday.

"In the wake of this system, very strong westerly winds and plunging temperatures are expected tonight and Wednesday," the federal agency said in a special weather statement released Tuesday afternoon.

"Conditions may become slippery due to the rapidly falling temperatures and the recent rainfall."

• For updates on the latest closures, check New Brunswick's Storm Centre.

Wind warnings are in effect for the Acadian Peninsula, Kent County, Kouchibouguac National Park, the Miramichi area and the Moncton region. Southeastern communities could see gusts up to 90km/h and up to 110km/h in the northeast.

Wind warnings are issuedwhenthere is a significant risk of strong winds that may cause damage.

"Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur," the warning said. "High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break."

'Stay slow'

Environment Canada had issued a special weather warning Tuesday morning for the northern half of the province, which projected between 15 and 20 centimetres of snow, and a mix of snow, rain and freezing rain for southern areas.

Drive slow and be wary of slippery roads was the message from authorities on Tuesday.

Capital-area fire departments tweeted Tuesday evening they were responding to motor vehicle accidents and urged caution.

Brun-Way Highway Operations Inc., the company that manages and maintains the highway from Longs Creek to the Quebec border and Route 95 from Woodstock to the U.S. border, has had crews out since late Monday evening, making sure snow removal equipment was working properly.

Julia Arseneault, communications co-ordinator with Brun-Way, said both highways were snow-covered and several vehicles had gone off the road since the morning.

The snow turned to rain, in most areas, as the day went on, but Arseneault said paved surfaces can "freeze very quickly" with a combination of rain, colder temperatures and strong winds.

"We have all available resources out and working at this point to make sure we don't get tripped up with that quick switch over that's going to happen," she said.

"With how quickly things can change, we just want to advise everybody to stay slow."

Mike Walker, manager of roadway operations in Fredericton, said salt trucks have been on the road since the storm started Tuesday morning. It takes 2 hours to cover the entire city.

"Obviously, if there's snow on the road then slow down," said Walker.

"Give yourself some extra time. And be prepared for those slippery conditions. This is our official warning that winter's here."

Schools closures

In the Anglophone West School District, schools in three zones closed three hours early:

• Zone 1: Edmundston
• Zone 2: Grand Falls, Plaster Rock, Perth-Andover
• Zone 3: Florenceville-Bristol, Bath, Centreville, Hartland and Woodstock

All schools in the Francophone Northwest School District closed for the afternoon.