HALIFAX — A massive winter storm that descended on southern Ontario has moved into the Maritimes, closing schools throughout the region and shuttering many businesses for the day.

The low pressure system is expected to bring 15 to 25 centimetres of snow and strong winds to Nova Scotia, where the heavy snow was forecast to change to ice pellets.

Environment Canada says winds could also gust to 80 kilometres an hour and combine with freezing rain to make travel treacherous.

All of New Brunswick and P.E.I., and much of Nova Scotia and southern Quebec were under similar winter storm warnings concerning the snow, ice pellets, wind and freezing rain that could be in store.

Schools and universities in almost all of the region were closed or delaying their openings, along with some government offices and businesses.

Airports in Fredericton, Halifax and Charlottetown were reporting dozens of flight cancellations, a day after the scene played out in Toronto where there were mass flight disruptions and widespread closures of schools, tourist attractions and non-essential municipal services.

Much of southern Quebec also remained under a winter storm warning after about 30 cm of snow fell in Montreal, forcing the closure of schools and travel hiccups Tuesday.