Snowy, windy nor’easter prompts school closures in Newfoundland
Travel will be difficult across Newfoundland into Thursday as heavy snow and gusty winds hit the island. Some spots could see up to 30 cm of snow.
Another week, another energetic winter storm taking aim at Newfoundland.
A nor’easter that brought wicked winds and heavy snow to New England and the Maritimes will take aim at Newfoundland through Thursday. Travel disruptions are likely across much of the island.
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Snow that began during the day Wednesday and continued into the overnight hours on Thursday could transition over to wet snow or even mixed precipitation for communities in southern areas on Thursday as warmer temperatures follow the system north.
School cancellations have already taken place in the St. John’s region and the Avalon Peninsula on Thursday morning.
Winds will gust to 60-80 km/h through Thursday morning, leading to blowing snow that will reduce visibility and make travel dangerous at times.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued snowfall warnings and winter storm warnings for the southern half of Newfoundland.
“Snowfall accumulations will vary considerably by location,” ECCC said in its snowfall warning for the St. John’s area. “If you are planning travel, be prepared for delays, and allow for extra time to reach your destination.”
Forecasters expect widespread totals of 15-25+ cm of snow by the end of the day Thursday, with totals ticking up toward 30 cm in St. John’s.
This is the second major winter storm to affect Newfoundland in the past week. A meandering storm last week dropped widespread totals of 20-30 cm for Gander and the Avalon.
After this storm, it’s likely that St. John’s will still fall half a metre short of meeting their seasonal snowfall total by this point in the year. But fear not, snow lovers—there’s still plenty of time left for wintry systems to visit the island.
Thumbnail courtesy of Beverly Quinlan Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on conditions across Newfoundland.