Wicked winds tear through Newfoundland, big snow on the doorstep this weekend
A gusty system will bring rain, snow, and powerful winds across Newfoundland through Friday. Heavy snow then takes aim at the island for Sunday
Widespread wind warnings cover Newfoundland for Friday, with gusts between 80-100 km/h threatening parts of the region.
Eyes then turn to a powerful weekend storm, which could bring the biggest snow totals of the season so far to eastern sections of the island. More than 30 cm of snow is forecast.
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Be sure to keep up-to-date on your local weather alerts and highway conditions before heading out this weekend.
Strong winds hit Newfoundland Friday
The latest in a series of back-to-back systems brought snow and difficult travel to parts of the Maritimes through Friday morning. As conditions begin to improve, the weather ramps up across Newfoundland for Friday.
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Snow began in western Newfoundland during the pre-dawn hours of Friday, spreading across the Avalon for the afternoon.
Between 5-15 cm of snow is possible across western Newfoundland, but totals will be limited elsewhere as the snow transitions to rain in the afternoon. We could end up seeing 5-10 mm of rain fall over the Avalon before the system leaves the region Friday evening.
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Gusting winds of up to 70-90 km/h will also reduce visibility for drivers across Newfoundland on Friday, and could lend a hand to knocking out power as the heavy, wet snow puts extra strain on power lines.
Winds could reach 100 km/h along the shorelines of the Avalon.
"Damage to buildings, such as to roof shingles and windows, may occur," said Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the wind warning issued early Friday. "Loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage."
Stronger storm threatens the East Coast Sunday
Another stronger system will enter Atlantic Canada on Sunday morning, starting with the Maritimes.
The current track has the storm dropping between 5-10 cm for southern Nova Scotia, including Halifax. Luckily, the snow will be out of the Maritime provinces in time for the Super Bowl game Sunday evening.
Much heavier snow will spread across Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, with 20-35 cm expected there. Central Newfoundland could see 5-15 cm.
This will be the largest snow system of the season so far for eastern Newfoundland, and one that will likely bring significant impacts. It'll be important to plan ahead, and avoid any unnecessary travel as the heavy snow hits.
The snow will fully move out of Atlantic Canada by Monday afternoon, when we'll be shifting our focus to the next system in line to impact the region next week.
Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across Atlantic Canada.