Winter isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, especially in Atlantic Canada. In fact, the season is well underway and poised to deliver one of its most impactful storms for major centers like Halifax, NS and St. John’s, NL. Snowfall, winter storm and blowing snow warnings are in place. By Wednesday morning some areas could see 20-40cm of snow.
Tuesday’s trip is expected to be dangerous due to limited visibility. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
DON’T MISS: It may be mild, but these parts of Canada are heading for the snowiest months
Heavy snow will continue through Monday night for Nova Scotia, easing early Tuesday morning. However, thunderstorms and strong northerly winds Tuesday morning could cause blowing snow and poor visibility during the commute.
By this time, most of Nova Scotia’s southern shorelines will see 20-30cm of snow, with 10-20cm in the central areas.
Across the Gulf, the Nor’easter continues to move northeast into Newfoundland, with some of the heaviest snowfall occurring from Tuesday morning into the afternoon. Extensive snowfall amounts of 20-40 cm are expected for the Avalon, Burin and Connaigre peninsulas. 30-40cm is expected in St. John’s and 15-25cm is forecast for Gander.
The Avalon Peninsula has the highest chance of seeing a switch to ice pellets or a mix of freezing rain and rain by Tuesday afternoon, and that’s becoming increasingly likely for southern areas. The rain is most likely to occur along the extreme southern coastal areas, with freezing rain and ice pellets further inland.
Rainfall will return to snow later Tuesday night and will again be combined with strong northerly winds to cause poor visibility during blowing snow.
In addition to the snow, gusty coastal winds are forecast for Nova Scotia. Winds will blow snow around but won’t cause zero visibility as they only get up to 50 km/h for most of Nova Scotia and up to 60 km/h for Cape Breton.
In addition to the heavy snow in Newfoundland, there will be sustained winds of 40-50 km/h, which can lead to whiteout and even blizzard conditions. Wind gusts reach 70-90 km/h. Blowing snow and whiteouts have a significant impact on travel conditions.
“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says in the region’s winter storm warning. “Visibility is suddenly reduced to almost zero at times during heavy snowfall and blowing snow.”
Conditions on the island will improve on Wednesday morning as the snow clears and the wind dies down.
Be sure to keep checking for the latest Atlantic Canada forecast.
WATCH: Biggest snowfall event of the season en route to the Atlantic in Canada
Click here to watch the video
