HALIFAX — Wind speeds picked up Monday afternoon, tossing around freshly fallen snow as a winter storm moved through Nova Scotia and into Newfoundland.
Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for eastern Newfoundland, where an additional 15 centimetres of snow were expected late Monday and into Tuesday. An earlier warning from the weather agency forecast total snowfall of about 25 centimetres from the storm
Peak wind gusts are expected to hit around 70 kilometres an hour on the Avalon, Bonavista and Burin peninsulas. Near Cape Race, maximum winds are forecast at 90 km/h.
“Winds will increase quickly this evening and combined with fresh snow will result in widespread blowing snow. Prepare for very poor driving conditions during the evening commute,” Environment Canada said.
The storm prompted the early closure of many schools in eastern Newfoundland, and a provincial byelection was postponed until Tuesday.
In Nova Scotia, many schools were closed Monday and snowfall warnings were in effect along the Atlantic coast from Yarmouth in the south to Sydney in the north, as well as Pictou and Antigonish counties on the north shore. Up to 15 centimetres of snow was forecast for the region.
As of Monday afternoon, peak wind gusts had hit around 70 km/h in many parts of Nova Scotia.
As well, the afternoon sailings for the ferries that link Nova Scotia with southwestern Newfoundland were cancelled.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2024.
The Canadian Press
