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Getting around will be a challenge in most parts of the country as Canadians brace for yet another string of winter storms -- and possibly the first national white Christmas in nearly four decades.

Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said the last national white Christmas happened in 1971.

With the current forecast, it appears the only place that might have some green on the ground on Dec. 25 is Halifax.

"They have 10 centimetres of snow on the ground. They're going to probably get another couple, but then it's going to turn to rain and temperatures of about 5 degrees," Phillips told Â鶹ӰÊÓ on Tuesday night.

For the rest of the country, heavy snow and high winds are causing delays at the major airports. A backlog of flight delays originating from Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport continue to snarl Christmas travel plans for countless Canadians.

Motorists should also anticipate delays as dangerous road conditions are expected thanks to freezing temperatures and blowing snow.

British Columbia is expecting another dumping of snow starting Tuesday evening while Ontarians gear up for another major snowfall in what seems like an endless string of storms in recent days.

Western Canada

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings for towns dotted all along the B.C. coastline that remained in effect through Tuesday evening.

Between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow is expected to blanket the region by the time residents wake up on Christmas Eve.

Arctic air pushing through the coastal valleys is also blasting the province with cold northeastern winds.

In Alberta, the government weather service warned of strong westerly winds that could cause blowing snow and visibility problems on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

Jack Frost hasn't loosened his grip on Saskatchewan and Manitoba either.

"A bitterly cold Arctic airmass remains entrenched over Saskatchewan today," Environment Canada wrote on its website.

Wind chills as cold as -45 C lashed the areas around Moose Jaw Tuesday.

"At these extreme wind chill values frostbite on exposed skin may occur in less than 10 minutes," Environment Canada warned.

On Tuesday evening, wind chill values in the southeast corner of the province were predicted to drop as low as -40.

Central Canada

Another Colorado-born storm has its sights set on the Great Lakes. Parts of Ontario are bracing for the latest blast in a string of winter storms.

Strong winds and snowfalls are forecast for cities along Lake Superior including Sault Ste. Marie.

Environment Canada has also issued a winter storm watch stretching from Lake Huron and eastward to Ottawa. Areas surrounding Toronto are expected to get their fourth dumping of snow in almost as many days.

More snow is also expected in Montreal on Tuesday, a city still plowing its way through remnants of Sunday's massive 20-centimetre snowfall.

Maritimes

In P.E.I., crews spent much of Tuesday working to clear Monday's 20-centimetre snowfall, which closed roads and bridges. Some high-sided buses and trucks were unable to cross the Confederation Bridge which connects the island with New Brunswick.

But as of 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the official Confederation Bridge website reported that the "bridge is currently open to all traffic."

According to the Environment Canada website, much of the Maritimes faced wind warnings and in some case freezing spray warnings on Tuesday evening.

Restoring power

And crews are still trying to restore power to thousands of homes in Nova Scotia after severe storm winds knocked down lines across the province.

As of 7 p.m. CST, Nova Scotia Power reported on its website that it had restored power to 90 per cent of affected customers, with fewer than 8,000 waiting for the lights to come back on.

In total, NSP has more than 100 crews on the ground, including 15 sent from New Brunswick.

In a statement on the NSP website, storm lead Alan Richardson said the crews "made good progress throughout the day and some of them will remain on the job throughout the night."

"We regret that some customers will not have full service restored tonight, and want to assure them the full complement of our available crews will be back in the field at first light," he said.

For residents still without power, comfort centres have been set up until the lines are fixed. Residents are also being asked to check on neighbours to make sure they are OK.

A mix snow and freezing rain is expected for parts of Nova Scotia in the coming days, which could further delay power restoration efforts.

The 2008 holiday season will likely be remembered for a string of harsh winter weather patterns across the country. Forecasters are predicting the first nationwide white Christmas since 1971.

With files from The Canadian Press