Potentially Record Breaking Snow and Hurricane Force Winds Expected to Slam Eastern Newfoundland Friday
Published: Thursday, January 16, 2020 - 10:30PM
Forecaster: Alannah Franks
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We have been watching an extremely potent storm that has been targeting Newfound for the past week or so and each time we’ve looked at the models, the storm has looked stronger and stronger. At this point in time, we are looking at what could be a historic one-day snowstorm that could dump close to 3 feet of snow and produce Category 2 hurricane wind gusts (up to 160 km/h) for the Bonavista and Avalon Peninsulas. This could very well be one of the strongest winter storms to have ever hit Eastern Newfoundland.
While all of Newfoundland should expect to see snow, there will be a fairly sharp gradient from west to east with the greatest amount of snow expected in the east, namely the Bonasitva and Avalon Peninsulas.
Avalon Peninsula
The snow should begin shortly after midnight tonight as light flurries and will build up to moderate snow through the early morning hours across the Avalon. The heavier snow will begin in the mid morning as the winds will also start to pick up. This heavy snow mixed with wind gusts of up to 120 km/h at times will create several hours of blizzard conditions. This heavy snow will last straight into the evening and snowfall rates of over 5cm per hour is not out of the question. The heavy snow will taper off to light snow during the overnight hours and this is when we could see wind gusts of 140+ km/h in the northern areas of the Avalon Peninsula. By Saturday morning, the snow will taper off to light flurries. In the southern parts of the Peninsula, the heavy snow may end earlier, resulting in slightly less accumulation.
Eastern Newfoundland
The snow will develop through the early morning hours and similar to on the Avalon Peninsula, the heavier snow will hit in the mid-morning hours and last straight into the evening. Again, the wind gusts will pick up with this heavier snowfall, resulting in prolonged blizzard conditions. Wind gusts in the afternoon should peak around 100-110 km/h before picking up in the evening once the snow begins to dissipate. Expect gusts of over 120 km/h with the potential over 140 km/h on the Bonavista Peninsula for the overnight hours.
Central Newfoundland
For Central Newfoundland, things will start a bit later with the snow expected to begin falling closer to sunrise. The snow should stay fairly moderate throughout the day, but some heavier snow is possible towards the east. Wind gusts in the afternoon will be around 100 km/h before increasing to 120 km/h for most areas and up to 130 km/h towards Twillingate and Fogo.
South Coast
Snow along the South Coast should begin shortly after midnight and stay moderate throughout the day before tapering off in the evening and ending overnight. Wind gusts are expected to top out at a little over 100 km/h through this region.
West Coast and Northern Peninsula
The West Coast and Northern Peninsula will see the least effects from this storm. Expect snow to stay fairly light with total accumulation to stay under 15cm. The wind gusts in this region will stay below 100 km/h with the exception of St. Anthony and the tip of the Northern Peninsula, where gusts could slightly exceed 100.
The strong wind gusts expected Friday night will be coming from the north and mixed with the strong low pressure from this storm, significant storm surges are expected along north-facing communities. It is within the possibility of there being 10+ metre high waves and with high tide also occurring overnight, coastal flooding is a serious concern.
In the advance of this storm, many precautions have already been taken to keep people safe. All schools and government buildings in the St. John’s and Metro area are scheduled to be closed tomorrow. It would not be a surprise many other businesses close their doors early or for the whole day in order to keep people off of the roads. The snow and winds will create long-lasting whiteout conditions that are extremely hazardous to travel in. Flights in and out of YYT will likely be delayed, if not fully cancelled and ferry services across Eastern Newfoundland will likely be halted. The high winds from this storm will also likely create widespread power outages that might last for some time due to the amount of digging out that will need to happen.
We hope that everyone is prepared for the storm in the hardest hit areas and that everyone stays safe!
