Parts of Newfoundland were under weather warnings Monday as the province braced for the impact of a powerful winter storm that was forecast to deliver cold temperatures, snow and high winds.

Meanwhile residents in Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and parts of New Brunswick were still digging out from the storm's effects a day earlier when it struck on Sunday.

Wind chills of -30 degrees Celsius made for tough work for power crews Monday in northeast P.E.I., where thick ice knocked out power to thousands over the weekend. A few hundred people were still without power Monday afternoon.

On Monday, a weather warning from Environment Canada for Newfoundland said snowfall amounts would range from 10 to 30 cm in areas expected to be hit by snow squalls along Newfoundland's western shore.

Strong southwesterly winds were also forecast for the province on Monday, resulting in reduced visibility in blowing snow.

"An intense low pressure system off the Labrador coast will bring cold air and strong southwesterly winds over Newfoundland today and tonight," said a statement for Parson's Pond - Hawke's Bay, Gros Morne, Corner Brook, and Bay St. George and Channel - Port aux Basques.

"Flurries and snow squalls will develop where southwesterly winds blow off the open waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence."

Other regions along the southern coast and northern tip of Newfoundland were subject to a less severe weather watch from Environment Canada that called for cold air, strong winds and flurries and snow squalls.

Weather warnings were also in place for much of New Brunswick. More than half of the province was under a wind chill warning from Environment Canada.

Cold Nova Scotia

In northern Nova Scotia, icy conditions led to a number of collisions off of Highway 104.

"Even with us pointing at them to slow down, they were travelling past collision scenes at high rates of speed and hitting patches of ice and going off the road themselves," Const. Dal Hutchinson of the Cumberland District RCMP told CTV Atlantic.

At least a dozen cars went off Highway 104 on the Nova Scotia side of the border due to the icy conditions, which weren't present on the New Brunswick side.

There were no significant injuries in the accidents, police said.

Some opposition MLAs in Nova Scotia suggested the provincial government has been cutting back on salting the roads but that was denied by Charles MacDonald of the Nova Scotia Transportation department.

"Our winter budget hasn't changed," he said.

Commuters in Halifax faced the coldest day of the transit strike that has left buses sitting idle.

"It's not a comfortable walk over the bridge, my lips are numb," commuter Dave Bidinost said of his route over one of the bridges that connects Dartmouth to downtown Halifax. "Thank you, bus drivers."

He said his morning commute is now a 90-minute walk.

Parts of Quebec were also expected to feel the effects of the storm Monday, with high to extreme wind chills expected over central and eastern Quebec, and reduced visibility in some areas due to blowing snow.

On Sunday everything from snow, to heavy rain and high winds buffeted the three Maritime provinces as the low pressure system made its way towards the Atlantic.

Nova Scotia's wet streets and sidewalks quickly turned to sheer ice as temperatures plummeted.

Saint John, N.B. was hit with 25 centimetres of snow.

Across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. nearly 10,000 people were without power on Sunday and dangerous driving conditions were reported in each of the three provinces.

In New Brunswick, the Greater Moncton International Airport saw many flights delayed by the poor runway conditions during the Sunday storm.

Even transit buses waited for the weather and roads to clear before starting their routes two hours later than usual.