Islanders face heavy cleanup after winter storm wallops P.E.I.

Maria Sarrouh reports on the impact a major winter storm has had on parts of P.E.I., as cleanup efforts get underway with more snow to come.

CHARLOTTETOWN -- For some Islanders, the day started with the sound of snowblowers before sunrise, after a powerful winter storm swept across Prince Edward Island.

The worst of the weather hit Monday evening and overnight, with some parts of the province reporting up to 22 centimetres of snow, along with howling wind gusts reaching 60 to 80 km/h. Light snow continued Tuesday before tapering off in the afternoon.

“I was up since 4:30 this morning and haven’t stopped since,” said Claude Dessey, taking a break from clearing his front lawn.

Another man snowblowing around a deck said the work would last well into the evening.

“We have a lot of water in the snow this morning - it’s making it very heavy,” he said, adding it felt like the biggest storm of the season so far.

“Pretty windy, lots of banging going around the house ... I hope it’s the last.”

Kalin Mitchell, chief meteorologist with CTV Atlantic, described it as a classic nor’easter that tracked up the Eastern Seaboard, hitting large parts of the U.S. before moving into the Maritimes, then pushing closer to western Newfoundland and southeast Labrador.

“That heavy snow combined with those high and gusty winds, you do get extensive periods of blowing snow and reduced visibility,” Mitchell said.

The storm’s impacts continued to pile up Tuesday.

The province’s English and French school were closed, with after-school activities cancelled.

Post-secondary campuses were also affected. The University of Prince Edward Island’s Charlottetown and St. Peter’s campuses were closed, while the AVC Veterinary Teaching Hospital remained open for emergencies. Holland College campuses also did not open, with distance classes proceeding as scheduled.

Health PEI’s storm centre showed a long list of disruptions, with some clinics closed and some appointments moved to phone calls. Others opened later in the day, with limitations, including outpatient services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s physical medicine department, which provides rehabilitation by referral.

Islanders were advised to call ahead to confirm appointments and notify staff if they were unable to make them.

Due to “severe and unsafe road conditions,” T3 Transit cancelled all rural buses, as well as the Summerside City transit bus. Several other routes experienced delays.

Though the centre of the storm has moved past P.E.I., more snow is in the forecast for Wednesday evening into Thursday, before conditions are expected to clear up later in the week.

“There are going to be some colder nights though, and colder mornings, so the snow’s going to be sticking around for awhile,” Mitchell said.