Hot News: New Brunswick battered by storm for second straight day

March is going out like a lion in New Brunswick as a slow-moving storm system dumps a mix of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain on the province for a second straight day.

Weather warnings are in place for about half the province, with an additional 25 centimetres of a winter mix of snow and ice pellets possible in some areas. The warnings for the Fredericton, York Sunbury, and Carleton County areas were dropped late Monday morning.

About 34,000 customers were affected by NB Power outages by Monday at about 6:30 p.m.

More than 14,000 of those are in Moncton. A main transmission line serving large areas of the city was knocked offline, the utility said.

The Shediac and Bouctouche areas were also hard hit, with more than 8,000 customers in each area without electricity.

'Overnight things really picked up in those areas with a lot of wind and trees on the lines,' said NB Power spokesperson Meagan Gerrish. 'That's where most of our efforts are going to be throughout the day today.'

Environment Canada storm warnings advise that another 15 to 25 centimetres of ice pellets and an extended period of freezing rain is expected Monday.

'Generally heavy snow and blowing snow is occurring over northeastern New Brunswick with a mixture of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain over central regions. Over the south freezing rain or rain is occurring over most areas,' states Environment Canada.

'The freezing rain and rain will gradually change to ice pellets later today then to snow this evening.

'Due to the slow movement of this system all precipitation forms will give significant accumulations over their respective regions. Many hours and significant accumulation of freezing rain and ice pellets are expected over central and southern regions today.'

CBC meteorologist Peter Coade said the weather system could affect the province for another day or two.

'This disturbance affecting us, it's not a very intense one, but it's a very large one,' said Coade, noting that radar shows the system extending as far south as New Jersey and Delaware.

The weather also resulted in some flights being cancelled and other cancellations being reported to the CBC Storm Centre.

Highway officials say the Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Moncton is passable, but motorists are advised to wait until noon or later to travel if possible.

'Motorists on the highway this morning would experience snow-covered roads that will also have icy and slushy patches throughout,' said Felicia Murphy of Brun-way, the company that maintains the Trans-Canada from west of Fredericton to the Quebec border.

In Saint John, some streets were closed Monday due to localized flooding. Affected streets were:

Westmorland Road from McAllister Drive to Downey Ford Ashburn Lake Road Various parts of Rothesay Avenue (including the underpass at Rothesay Road) A small section at the end of Dominion Park Road. Most schools close

Schools closed in most of the province.

All schools are closed in Anglophone West, Anglophone East and Anglophone North school districts.

In the Anglophone South school district, schools opened, except those in the St. Stephen area.

However, it was then decided that schools in Anglophone South will be shutting down for the day two hours earlier than usual.

Elementary school students were scheduled to be dismissed at 11: 45 a.m., followed by middle school students at 12:30 p.m. and high school students at 1:30 p.m.

Schools in Francophone North-East and Francophone North-West are also closed. In the Francophone South school district, all schools except those in the Saint John area are closed.

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