Blustery winds, 30+cm of snow to kick off spring in Newfoundland
Parts of Newfoundland will be subject to several hours of blizzard conditions Friday night and into Saturday as the storm that dumped snow on the Maritimes earlier this week departs the area.
Newfoundland is getting hounded by the last surge of the low-pressure system that made its way through the Maritimes earlier this week.
The province, particularly areas along the southern coast can expect to face several hours of blizzard conditions before the storm moves out of the area on Saturday.
The heavy snowfall spread across Newfoundland from the south and moved into the northern Avalon throughout the day on Friday, before ramping up in intensity moving into the evening and overnight. Some areas can expect to see snowfall rates of up to 2 cm per hour.
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Winds will also rapidly increase, resulting in blowing snow and reduced visibility. As the high winds become more sustained and have more powerful gusts, some areas will see several hours of blizzard conditions — including St. John’s.
Blustery southeast winds, maintaining gusts of 70-90 km/h, will shift to the east-northeast during the day on Saturday. This will sustain the blowing snow hazard across the Avalon and up to Bonavista into the weekend.
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Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued several winter storm warnings for areas within the Avalon, Bonavista, and Burin Peninsulas.
“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance,” ECCC advises in the warning issued for St. John’s and the surrounding area.
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By the time conditions finally come to a calm Saturday evening, 20-30+ cm of snow may fall over the Avalon, as well as 15-20 cm for Bonavista, Clarenville, and the Burin Peninsula to the south.
This will not be the last storm that Atlantic Canada faces this weekend. Going into Sunday, parts of the Maritimes can expect to see some snow accumulation across the southern coast.
Fredericton, Moncton, and Halifax are looking to see between 5-10cm of snow by the end of the day Sunday.
Keep checking back to The Weather Network for more forecast updates and information for Atlantic Canada.