OTTAWA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua)-- Windy snow storm has hit eastern Canada, dumping more than 25 cm snow by early Wednesday, causing delays and cancellations of flights.

The storm has also prompted widespread school closures in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Halifax and other cities.

The Ottawa International Airport tweeted that a number of flights were delayed or cancelled due to the extreme weather condition.

The storm is being accompanied by high winds, which are expected to cause periods of blowing snow and low visibility. Environment Canada recommends that people in areas covered by the winter storm warnings avoid travelling unless absolutely necessary.

A separate storm prompted snowfall warnings in parts of Britishm Colombia province, including the cities of Vancouver and Victoria, which will likely see another five cm of snow on Wednesday, bringing the total accumulation to as much as 25 cm, and causing unpredictable travel conditions.

Parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, including Edmonton and Saskatoon, remained under extreme cold warnings with wind chill values in the -40 range expected Wednesday. Neither city has seen temperatures above minus 18 Celcius since February.