Warnings for snowfall, winter storms and blowing snow remain in effect in parts of Atlantic Canada as a major winter storm packs a heavy punch on Valentine’s Day. By Wednesday morning some areas could see between 20 and 40 cm of snow.
Drivers are being urged to consider postponing non-essential travel to the hardest-hit areas of southern Nova Scotia and eastern Newfoundland.
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Between 4 and 10 inches of snow was already reported in the Halifax area in the early hours of Tuesday. This prompted most schools to either delay opening or close their doors altogether first.
“Heavy snow from the night turned to light snow flurries for most of Nova Scotia Tuesday morning, but persistent snow flurries and sometimes blustery winds can still affect travel conditions,” warns Kelly Sonnenburg, meteorologist at The Weather Network.
Blizzard-like conditions threaten St. John’s, NL
On the other side of the Gulf, the Nor’easter continues to move northeast across Newfoundland, with some of the heaviest snow and blizzard-like conditions on Tuesday.
Extensive snowfall amounts of 20-40 cm are expected for the Avalon, Burin and Connaigre peninsulas. Between 30-40cm is expected in St. John’s and 15-25cm is forecast for Gander.
Most schools in the area also chose to close their doors, and Metrobus pulled its drivers off the streets in St. John’s. At St. John’s International Airport, all flights for Tuesday have been canceled and some early morning flights on Wednesday have also been cancelled.
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.
Gusts can peak near 90 mph Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning and while snowfall rates ease, the freshly fallen snow combined with the light snow still falling will result in whiteout 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.
