Home Breadcrumb caret News Breadcrumb caret Claims First winter storm of 2026 shuts down much of Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital Though the first storm of 2026, it was technically the fourth storm to hit the region since Christmas Day By The Canadian Press | January 5, 2026 | Last updated on January 5, 2026 1 min read Plus Icon Image Residents of St. John’s, N.L., are shown shovelling out on Monday Jan. 5, 2026, after the first storm of the new year dumped about 20 centimetres of snow on Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie ST. JOHN’S, NL – Residents of eastern Newfoundland woke up to knee-deep snow drifts and cancelled classes as the first storm of the new year howled outside their windows. David Neil, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the storm had dumped about 20 centimetres of snow on St. John’s by this morning. Schools were closed for the day and city busses in the capital city stayed off the roads until later in the afternoon. Though it was the first storm of 2026, Neil says it was technically the fourth storm to hit the region since Christmas Day. He says the back-to-back weather systems have contributed to above-average snowfall in Newfoundland and parts of Labrador in December. Neil says that’s exactly what’s needed to avoid the drought-like conditions that plagued much of the province this summer. Subscribe to our newsletters Subscribe Subscribe The Canadian Press Print Group 8 LinkedIn LI X (Twitter) logo Facebook Print Group 8
