Storm dumps 50 cm of snow on parts of eastern Newfoundland, with more to come

ST. JOHN’S, Nfld. – A winter storm descended on eastern Newfoundland overnight Tuesday, shutting down services and dumping more than 50 centimetres of snow on some areas.

The wind was still howling later on Wednesday, as Environment Canada warned there was more to come.

The weather agency issued an orange storm warning for the island’s Bonavista and northern Avalon peninsulas, including for Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital city, St. John’s. An orange warning indicates the federal weather agency anticipates damage or disruptions because of severe weather.

As of Wednesday evening, the northern Avalon Peninsula was digging out from between 35 and 55 centimetres of snow, including in St. John’s.
 Farther west, the Bonavista Peninsula was buried beneath 15 to 25 centimetres, Environment Canada said. 

An additional 10 to 20 centimetres of snow was in the forecast for Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.

Many flights at the St. John’s International Airport were cancelled Wednesday. Schools were closed for the day in much of eastern Newfoundland, and buses stayed off the roads in St. John’s.


About 344 customers were still without electricity around 1 a.m., according to Newfoundland Power.