‘A messy day ahead’ as another winter storm keeps some Newfoundland schools closed

Much of Newfoundland is waking up to blustery and messy morning that has shuttered schools as another storm slams into the island.

Environment Canada has issued several weather alerts across the island of Newfoundland.

Orange winter storm warnings and yellow wind warning are in effect for parts of the Avalon Peninsula, with large swaths of central Newfoundland facing yellow winter storm warnings.

In advance of the snowstorm, NL Schools pre-emptively closed schools in the metro St. John’s area with an update at 10:30 a.m. NT. Many schools across central Newfoundland are also closed for the day due to the weather.

CBC Meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler said the St. John’s area got 19 centimetres of snow, with Paradise getting 17 centimetres. Gander picked up 2.5 centimetres as of 7 a.m. but by the time the storm wraps, it could reach approximately 30 centimetres or more.

Brauweiler said the St. John’s metro region could get between five to 15 more centimetres.

Brauweiler said the southern shore is starting to see ice pellets and freezing rain come down, with some icy mix for the St. John’s metro later this morning and then turning into rain around noon.

“As for how much rain, I don’t think there should be too, too much — which is good news,” she told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.

She added some areas could pick up 10 millimetres of rain.

Shovellers will want to get out sooner rather than later to clean up from the snowfall, Brauweiler warned.

“Once we do start to see some ice pellets mix in, that means the temperatures are going to warm up, and with that rain it will make that snow a little bit dense this afternoon,” she said.

Winds will ease up in the Avalon in the afternoon and the day might look lovely with some sun peeking out, but she said “don’t get fooled” because the winds will pick up and temperatures will drop and it could bring more snow.

The winds will be gusting around 80 to 100 km/h Tuesday night.

Meteorologist Robert Grove said as of Tuesday morning, around 15 centimetres of snow has already fallen on the Avalon Peninsula, with another 10 to 15 centimetres expected to come down before changing to freezing rain and ice pellets in the afternoon.

“So it’s still going to be a messy day ahead,” he said.

He said the Burgeo and Connaigre areas can expect to get between 10 to 15 centimetres of snow. The Burin Peninsula is set to get an additional five to 10 centimetres of snow, which will change to either freezing rain or ice pellets in the morning, but is expected to change back to snow as the temperature drops.

In the Clarenville and Bonavista areas, Grove said precipitation will also mostly stay snow but could mix with some ice pellets in some areas in the afternoon.

“Some gusty winds too, looking at gusting anywhere from 70 to 80 km/h except for Bonavista and the Bay de Verde Peninsula. On the Avalon there, looking at some gusts near 100 over exposed areas of the coast this evening,” said Grove.

“Overall, it’s going to be pretty messy.”

Grove added across the Avalon winds will strengthen in the evening and temperatures will fall and the rain and drizzle will shift back to snow, “so another dirty evening visibility-wise.”

Say it ain’t snow. Parts of N.L. walloped by snow, wind, freezing rain

Traffic is also being impacted, with Metrobus taking its buses off the road for the morning with an update coming around 10 a.m. NT.

Memorial University is also keeping its St. John’s, Marine Institute and Signal Hill campuses closed, with an update scheduled for 11 a.m.

The St. John’s Supreme Court and Court of Appeal is closed for the morning, with an update at 11 a.m. As well, the St. John’s provincial court is also closed with an update at 11 a.m. and courts in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor are closed for the day.

Snow plow operator Matt Cole said he started work 10 p.m. Monday to try to get ahead of the accumulating snow, working to keep driveways open in the St. John’s Galway neighbourhood.

“All night and all morning,” he said.

“It’s not really pleasant up here.”

This recent storm is the top two or three of the year’s storms, he said, but couldn’t say how it placed compared to past winters.

“I don’t even know what’s normal anymore when it comes to winter. The winters are all over the place,” said Cole, adding it also reminds him of winters from his childhood.

Compared to last winter, he said he’s worked well over double the hours this winter.

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