A heavy, wet snowstorm hammered regions of the province on Wednesday, leading to school closures, road shutdowns, and power outages affecting thousands of residents.
The storm, characterized by blizzard-like conditions in certain areas, caused a standstill on Highway 104 between Masstown, N.S., and Oxford. An incident involving an 18-wheeler jackknifing near the Cobequid Pass toll station at around 4 a.m. blocked traffic lanes heading towards New Brunswick, resulting in significant congestion along the highway.
Kyle Hollingsworth, a supervisor at Heavy Rescue 104, mentioned that their team worked diligently to clear the truck and assist other stranded vehicles struggling to navigate the snow-covered road. Using wreckers, or heavy-duty tow trucks, they managed to move the vehicles one by one up the inclined highway section.
“We’re currently towing trucks and will continue to do so, one by one, to the top of the hill, to keep the traffic flowing,” stated Hollingsworth on Wednesday morning, emphasizing the importance of winter tires during December.
In other parts of Nova Scotia, Environment Canada issued a yellow warning, forecasting up to 30 centimeters of snow in northern areas and up to 50 centimeters in northern Cape Breton. Additionally, the Atlantic coast was bracing for heavy rainfall of up to 45 millimeters and wind gusts reaching 80 kilometers per hour.
The severe weather conditions led to school closures across various regions, and as of Wednesday evening, more than 5,500 Nova Scotia Power customers remained without electricity.
[Image: Kyle Hollingsworth, a supervisor with Heavy Rescue 104, was helping to tow vehicles that were blocking or stuck on Highway 104. (Brett Ruskin/CBC)]
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