A spring storm is causing numerous problems for Eastern Canadians on Friday.

In New Brunswick, 6,000 people woke up without power after freezing rain and ice knocked down trees and power lines. By mid-afternoon, that number was down to about 900.

NB Power spokeswoman Heather MacLean said strong winds were slowing down the 25 crews working on repairs Friday.

"That's never good when there's ice on trees and there's wind,'" she said.

There's a snowfall warning in effect for northern New Brunswick. Much snow isn't expected but anticipated high winds could lead to whiteout conditions.

In Quebec, a storm coming up from the U.S. Midwest, is expected to drop off between 10 to 15 centimetres of snow. Blowing snow warnings are in effect for much of southern Quebec.

Flood Warnings in Ontario

Even if the weather warms up with the arrival of spring that will not necessarily be a good thing in some areas of central Canada.

In eastern Ontario, conservation officials say that as the snowpack from recent storms melts, residents in the Rideau Valley can expect "above average peak flows and water levels" on "all streams" in the area.

"The more snow on the ground you have just prior to spring, the more likely you're going to have high flows and floods," Bruce Reid of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority told CTV Ottawa.

An RVCA flood advisory notes, "The severity of flooding conditions will be highly dependent on temperatures and precipitation over the next few days and weeks."

Residents living in areas that are prone to flooding are being advised to take precautions in order to minimize property damage and safety risks.

"Take a look around your property and see what parts of it might be affected if the water does come up," Reid said.

The advisory is also calling on local municipal officials to begin making emergency response preparations.

With files from The Canadian Press