Flights, power, transit services impacted as storm hits N.B.

New Brunswick is facing road closures and power outages asyet another winter stormhitthe province Saturday.

Environment Canada has issued a storm warning for the entire province, calling for strong winds,heavy snowfall and power outages. The forecaster has also issuedspecial warningsofelevated sea water levels along the eastern coast areas.

Snow and blowing snow began over southern New Brunswick Saturday morning. It was expected to spread to northern New Brunswick by Saturday evening, the weather agency said.

It warnsof hazardous winter conditions, with 20 to 40 centimetres of snowfall insouthern areas and 15 to 25 centimetres innorthern regions, and winds gustingbetween 70 and 100 km/h.

"Gusty northeasterly winds will accompany the snow, with the highest gusts of 90 to 100 km/h along coastal areas," it said, adding that "power and utility outages are likely."

Conditions are expected to improve Sunday morning.

As of Saturday evening, N.B. Power listeddozens ofoutages concentrated in the Saint John region, leaving nearly 3,000 customerswithout electricity.

Air Canada cancelled flights to and from New Brunswick for Saturday and Sunday morning. WestJet has cancelled all flights in the Maritimes for Sunday.

Digby-Saint John ferry service is cancelled for Saturday.Service from Blacks Harbour to Grand Manan is also cancelled for Saturday.

The VitalitHealth Network has cancelled a COVID-19 vaccination clinic atKouchibouguac Community Centre.

The Horizon Health Network has closed theCOVID Assessment Centre at 380 MacNaughton Ave. in Moncton as well as theSussex Legion COVID vaccination clinic on Sunday.

It is asking all those who booked an appointment to go online, cancel and register again.

In Saint John, all transit bus service has been cancelled for Saturday, and the city has declared an overnight parking ban for the north, east and west areas between midnight until 7 a.m. Sunday.

The City of Monctonasked residents toassist with snow clearing operations by not parking on the street during or immediately after the storm.

Downtown overnight parking was also prohibited as of Friday, the city said in a post on social media.

In Fredericton, residents were urged to prepare for outages and to stay off the roads.

"Gas up, get groceries, charge your phones, and perhaps re-evaluate travel plans for the weekend," the city said in a tweet.

Fredericton Transit cancelled all routes after 11 a.m. Saturday.

The New Brunswick Department of Transportation closed Highway 15, Highway 16 and Highway 2 from Exit 454 to the Nova Scotia border due to poor road conditions Saturday afternoon.

Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works has even closed the Trans-Canada highway at the New Brunswick border due to poor conditions, where people were expected to gatherto protest a variety ofCOVID-19 measures, in solidarity with a convoy that converged on Ottawa Saturday.

Twenty vehicles parked in Aulac, N.B., in support of the convoy.

RCMP New Brunswick recommended in a series of tweets against travel in Fredericton city limits and between Coles Island and Moncton.