Winter arrived on Saturday and with it came a lot of snow and strong winds for much of New Brunswick.

Winter storm warnings were in place for much of the day for eastern regions, extending from the Nova Scotia border to the Miramichi area, before ending late in the afternoon.

Environment Canada had forecasted between 15 and 25 centimetres of snow in total by the time it came to an end.

Wind gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour also led to reduced visibility in blowing snow over exposed areas.

Around 25 centimetres had fallen at the Greater Moncton International Airport as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

Snow also fell across the rest of southern and eastern New Brunswick but amounts were not as high as in Greater Moncton.

The initial forecast called for between 10 and 15 centimetres in total for Saint John, the Kennebecasis Valley, Sussex and Grand Lake.

The Saint John Airport reported around 14 centimetres as of 5 p.m. Saturday. A volunteer observer in Sussex Corner recorded 13 centimetres as of 6:30 a.m. with more falling throughout the day.

For Charlotte County and Fredericton, snowfall totals were forecast to range from five to 10 centimetres.

The brunt of the snow fell in mainland Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, where up to 40 centimetres was expected in some areas.

Snow in Moncton on Dec. 21, 2024. Image: Tara Clow

Travel impacts

Most highways throughout southern New Brunswick are snow-covered with drifting snow and reduced visibility in some areas, although conditions are improving in the southwest.

New Brunswick RCMP said at around 1:30 p.m. Saturday that travel was not recommended on Route 2 between Moncton and Nova Scotia due to poor road conditions and visibility.

The Confederation Bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles early Saturday afternoon due to high winds but reopened before 5 p.m.

Some flight delays and cancellations were been reported at the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton airports so it is best to check ahead.

All ferry crossings between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were cancelled for the day on Saturday.

Power outages

An earlier outage affecting more than 800 homes and businesses in Charlotte County has been restored.

Impacted communities included Bayside, Bocabec, Chamcook and Saint Andrews.

The outage was caused by a collision, according to NB Power’s website.

Delays and cancellations

The Moncton campus of l’Université de Moncton was closed until noon on Saturday due to weather conditions.

All public libraries in Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe delayed opening until 1 p.m. Saturday.