Residents in Nova Scotia are struggling to dig out after a historic storm that lasted several days hit most parts of the province, affecting travel across the area and prompting the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to declare a local state of emergency.

Ryan Snoddon, a CBC meteorologist, said the airport in Sydney, New South Wales, saw more than 90 cm of snow by Monday morning, while downtown Sydney received 150 cm of snow, and officials are asking residents to stay off the roads.

According to the Cape Breton Regional Police, Gary Fraser said the force received more than 550 service calls over the weekend, including 30 car accidents and "many stranded drivers and abandoned vehicles."

Fraser added: "This is because many people did not heed the warnings and did not stay off the roads," adding that road conditions remained "horrible" Monday morning.

"Please be part of the solution, not the problem. Stay off the roads."

Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda MacDougall said the seven-day state of emergency gives the municipality authority to control or ban travel and allow qualified people to provide assistance.

She said Monday would be a "crucial day" in cleanup efforts and expressed concern about buildings that may have structural issues.

MacDougall added, "There is a lot of snow on the roofs, which could pose a danger."

The Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton also declared a local state of emergency on Monday, saying it had exhausted all resources and that all snow removal vehicles had been damaged or unable to continue clearing snow.

Chief Leroy Denny said ambulances were unable to travel in the community Monday morning, affecting dialysis patients and potentially being dangerous if there were medical emergencies.

Denny emphasized, "We all need to work together here in Cape Breton," urging the province to send heavy machinery to the Mi'kmaw community.

Jay Deveau, Executive Director of Maintenance and Operations for the Provincial Department of Public Works, said crews witnessed "meters of snow" falling in the area, and some equipment was damaged.

He continued that conditions were snowier and windier as you move east in the province. The department moved crews and equipment to the eastern parts of the province today to intensify snow removal efforts.

Deveau said although the 100-series highways were technically passable Monday morning, officials were advising people to stay home.

"We are facing many challenges there," he confirmed, adding that some parts of the highways were down to one lane, and if we don't have units crossing repeatedly, they fill up with snow."

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also closed Highway 102 northbound in Goffs this morning after a tractor trailer collided with all lanes of the highway, with the highway reopening later.

Fraser said fire crews were also busy fighting a fire in a building in Sydney Monday morning.

"There were eight people living there who were able to get out. So there are eight people displaced until they can find another place to live."

Snoddon said the stalled low-pressure system is responsible for the heavy snowfall.

He explained, "Low-pressure systems usually follow the jet stream and move across the area from west to east."

"This storm was a cut-off low, separated from the jet stream, and as a result, it stalled east of the area, causing prolonged snowfall."

Snoddon added many in the province recalled the February 2004 storm locally called "White Juan," a northerly snowstorm that dropped more than 100 centimeters of snow on parts of Atlantic Canada – five months after Hurricane Juan caused widespread damage in the Maritimes.

Snoddon said, "It is safe to say this is the most historic winter storm to hit Nova Scotia since White Juan."

He continued, "Depending on the final official numbers, this might be the largest multi-day snowfall event in the Sydney area since January 31 to February 4, 1992, when 102 cm fell at Sydney airport."

Flight suspensions

Leah Batstone, spokesperson for Halifax Stanfield International Airport, said snowfall was the major issue that led to the flight stoppages.

She added 70 flights were canceled over the weekend, but departures and arrivals are expected to resume Monday.

Batstone said, "Staffing may present a significant challenge this morning as people are digging out themselves."

More than 7,000 Nova Scotia Power customers lost electricity Monday morning, from Lunenburg to Cape Breton.

All schools and workplaces of the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education and Strait Regional Centre for Education were closed Monday, as was the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, while the province’s Conseil scolaire acadien provincial closed some of its schools.

In Halifax, police said there were 12 car collision accidents over the weekend, and more than 500 tickets issued related to winter parking bans. The parking ban will remain in effect from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Travel

Transit Cape Breton is not operating Monday.

Halifax Transit resumed service, but check for individual route cancellations.

11:45 a.m. crossings from North Sydney to Port aux Basques and Port aux Basques to North Sydney were canceled.

Offices and services

All municipal offices in Halifax Regional Municipality are closed Monday.

Provincial government offices in Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Halifax Regional Municipality and the counties of Hants, Colchester, Cumberland, Pictou, Antigonish, Inverness, Guysborough, Victoria, and Richmond are closed.

There are a number of impacts on health services in Nova Scotia.

Courts

The courts in Pictou, Antigonish, Port Hawksbury, and Sydney were closed Monday.

The Shubenacadie District Court postponed its opening until noon.