Collisions snarl traffic as N.S. hit by 1st winter storm

Police across Nova Scotia are reporting dozens of vehiclecrashesas a storm bringsmessy weather to the province in the first winter storm of the season.

Snow began early this morning and is expected to change to ice pellets before turning to rain this afternoon. Winds are expected to gust to 60 kilometres per hour, and up to 80km/h along the coast.

RCMP say they are dealing with about 30 collisions in the Halifax Regional Municipality and elsewhere in the province, but they expect that number to rise as the storm system moves and snow accumulates.

Halifax Regional Police have received at least 50 reports of crashes since 6 a.m.

"Treacherous driving conditions have resulted in reports of vehicles being unable to negotiate steep or sharply curving roads," a spokesperson said.

NorthumberlandFerries said the 9:30 a.m. ferry to Caribou will be the last run of the day between Nova Scotia and P.E.I. due to weather.Tonight's Marine Atlantic crossings between Port aux Basques, N.L., and North Sydney have been cancelled and rescheduled for Saturday morning at 11:45 a.m.

Most flights in and out of theHalifax Stanfield International Airporttoday are delayedand there are a handful of cancellations as well.

Several bus routes in the Halifax region are on a snow plan as the winter conditions blanket the roads in a slippery mess of snow and slush.

This morning, a man suffered life-threatening injuries when he collided head-on with a snowplow on Larry UteckBoulevard, closing the road to traffic.

• STORM CENTRE | For the latest cancellations and closures

About 6,500 people were without power as of 12:45 p.m., mostly in the Fairviewand north-end areas of Halifax.

Schools and school buses

All classes at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education and the South Shore Regional Centre for Education were cancelled, and students at all schools in the Strait Regional Centre for Education were dismissed beginning at noon.

Classes at someschools in theConseilscolaireacadienprovincial were cancelled, while others will have early dismissal.

The Amherst, Cumberland, Pictou and Truro campuses of the Nova Scotia Community College are also closed for the day.

All schools in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education are open today.

Doug Hadley, aspokesperson for the centre, said some Stock Transportation school bus drivers pulled over to the side of the road due to poor conditions and the company was in the process of communicating with parents of students stuck on the buses.

In a tweet sent out after 11 a.m.,Stock apologized for the inconvenience and said most students have beentransported safely to school, but some routes are experiencing significant delays and may not be completed.