All P.E.I. schools closed Monday due to weather, winter storm hits west

All schools across Prince Edward Island are closed Monday as a winter storm brings challenging conditions to much of the province, with the western region bearing the brunt of the snow.

All UPEI, Holland College and Collège de l'Île locations will also remain closed for the day. The four French childcare centres in Charlottetown, Summerside, Rustico and Evangeline also shut down.

Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for Prince County, where another 10 centimetres of snow is expected. Strong winds will combine with the fresh fluffy snow to reduce visibility in blowing snow.

As of 8 a.m., the plow dispatcher in Prince County said all plows are out, and roads are a little bit better in Prince County. The plows have been able to do one swath of each area, and visibility is slightly improved. However, the plow dispatcher said it will take the morning to fully clean things up.

"Conditions will improve near noon today as snowfall rates begin to ease," Environment Canada said.

In Queens County, the plow dispatcher said conditions in central parts of the province haven't improved much, and it will likely be this afternoon before things get much better, with blowing snow and poor visibility.

In Kings County, the roads continue to be slushy, and the dispatcher for the area is concerned about them freezing up when the temperatures drop, and is advising people to slow down and be very cautious on the roads.

Delays across the Island

A number of health services across P.E.I. are delaying or cancelling in-person appointments due to the weather. Islanders are encouraged to visit the Health P.E.I. website for the latest updates.

Restrictions are possible on the Confederation Bridge starting around 11 a.m. today, lasting until 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Classes at Study Abroad Canada are delayed until 10:30 a.m., with a further announcement by 9:30 a.m.

All provincial civil service offices in the West Prince, East Prince, Queens and Charlottetown areas are on a continued delay until 12:30 p.m., with a further announcement by 11:30 a.m.

The Service Canada Centres in Charlottetown, Summerside and O'Leary will delay opening until 12:30 pm., with a further update at 11:30 a.m.

The Island Waste Management Corporation has cancelled all garbage collection routes across the Island Monday.