School cancellations, icy roads plague Maritimes after blizzard

School cancellations and icy road conditions are plaguing the Maritimes for the second day in a row.

Several school boards across the Maritimes cancelled classeson Wednesday, and treacherous road conditions have forced other cancellations and delays.

• Check STORM CENTRE for the latest cancellations
• Nova Scotia blizzard eases, icy conditions continue
• School bus slides into the ditch in Nova Scotia

Freezing rain warningsacross the Maritimeswere lifted later on Wednesday morning, though icy spots on roads were still a problem in many areas. In Eastern Passage, just outsideHalifax, a school bus slid off the road and into a ditch.

One student suffered minor injuries, saidRCMP.

The centre of Wednesday's nor'easter will continue to progress slowly, says CBC meteorologist Peter Coade, travelling the length of mainland Nova Scotia during the day and moving into the Gulf of St. Lawrence by early evening.It's expected tocross toNewfoundland and Labrador overnight.

"With the wind becoming strong northerly, in its wake, temperatures will be falling during the day today," saidCoade. "A ridge of high pressure will build into the Maritimes overnight tonight with a clearing sky and make for a sunny Thursday.

"Next up, a disturbance moving in from the northwest to bring more snow, developing in northwestern New Brunswick Friday morning and slipping down to bring snow to the rest of the region before daybreak on Saturday."

The roads in the Halifax area were still slippery on Wednesday afternoon, but thecity promisedto have all the streetscleared by suppertime.

"As fast as we clear routes and treat them with salt or sand, they keep getting covered over with flurries. We just have to stay out there," said DarrinNatolino, superintendent of winter operations for the Halifax Regional Municipality.

"For us, we're basicallyin the post-storm cleanup mode. We've scaled back the heavy equipment and all the additional equipment we usually employ.Now we're just cycling our routes, cleaning things up, tucking in snow banks, cleaning up bus stops."

Digging outmeans digging deep into the snow-clearing budget.

"A day like yesterday, when all the gear is out and everything is out, it's well over $100,000an hour we end up spending," said Natolino.

"I think it's important people keep that in mind.An operation like this, it hits the coffers."

Coade said there is a chance Nova Scotia could be mild enough on Saturday for the snow to change to rain.

This disturbance will moveout before daybreak Sunday, and it will become sunny, but another snowy disturbance is expected for Monday.