As one storm exits by Saturday morning, another, snowiest system, arrives Saturday night
Very warm temperatures over the last 24 hours, combined with rainfall and rapid snowmelt, have pushed river and stream levels noticeably higher across parts of eastern Newfoundland.
One example is the Waterford River at Kilbride, which rose about 77 cm in a single day. Images taken around mid-afternoon show the river running high and beginning to spill slightly over its banks in places, leading to some minor flooding along low-lying areas. The expectation is that water levels will gradually subside as conditions stabilize, but it’s something residents near rivers and streams should continue to keep an eye on.
While the water levels may begin to ease, the wind has been the other major story today.
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Strong Winds Continue Across Eastern Newfoundland
As expected, high wind speeds arrived earlier and have persisted for several hours. Around mid-afternoon, gusts reached:
St. John’s: 85 km/h
Bonavista: 91 km/h
Argentia: 75 km/h
Some locations experienced even stronger gusts earlier in the day.
A wind warning remains in effect for the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas through this evening, as gusty conditions continue. Meanwhile, areas farther north and west across central and northeastern Newfoundland are beginning to see their winds increase, with the strongest gusts expected this evening and overnight.
The good news is that conditions will begin to improve later tonight. Winds on the Avalon should gradually ease after 8–9 PM, though areas farther north and west will take a little longer to calm down.
By Saturday morning, wind speeds will drop significantly across much of the Island, allowing for a quieter start to the day.
A Brief Break Before the Next Weather System
Satellite and radar imagery over the past 12 hours show the current weather system pulling away from Newfoundland and Labrador. But it won’t be quiet for long. To the west, another system bringing snow across the Great Lakes region and into parts of Ontario and Quebec is heading toward Atlantic Canada. That system will become the next weather maker for Newfoundland this weekend. Before that arrives, some additional snow will still fall tonight from the departing system.
Snowfall Before Saturday Morning
Expected additional snowfall includes:
Southeastern Labrador (south of Cartwright): 5–15 cm
Between Mary’s Harbour and Red Bay: 5–15 cm
Northern Peninsula (St. Anthony to Flower’s Cove and north of Conche): 10–20 cm
Higher terrain across the Long Range Mountains and Route 430 may also see accumulating snow, leading to some tricky travel conditions overnight and early Saturday.
Elsewhere across western Newfoundland — including Corner Brook, Deer Lake, and the Humber Valley — only a few additional centimetres are expected. Similar small totals are forecast for Stephenville, Bay St. George, and the Port au Port Peninsula.
Cold Night Ahead for Labrador West
As the storm departs tonight, temperatures will drop sharply.
In Labrador West, wind chill values could reach –45°C early Saturday morning, prompting an Extreme Cold Warning from Environment Canada.
While forecast wind speeds may remain relatively light, even a slight breeze could push wind chill values well into the –40°C range, meaning frostbite could occur in minutes.
Weekend Weather: Snow Returns Saturday Afternoon
Saturday morning will start relatively quiet across Newfoundland, with temperatures near or slightly below freezing in many areas. But by midday, the next system will begin moving in. Snow is expected to arrive first across southwestern Newfoundland Saturday afternoon, spreading across much of the Island Saturday night and continuing into Sunday.
Environment Canada has already issued a Snowfall Warnings for much of the Island for around 15 to 25 cm of snow, though some locations could see higher totals.
Expected Snowfall (Saturday Afternoon – Sunday)
Eastern Newfoundland (Gander to Gambo eastward): 15–25 cm
Central Newfoundland (west of Gander to Grand Falls–Windsor): 10–15 cm
South Coast: 10–15 cm
Western Newfoundland: 5–10 cm
Some areas could locally exceed 25 cm depending on where persistent snow bands set up. Note that this forecast may get adjusted in subsiquent forecasts.
Snow will begin in western areas late Saturday afternoon, spreading eastward during the evening and overnight. Parts of the Avalon may see a brief change to rain late Saturday night, depending on temperatures, though some models may be overestimating how far north that changeover occurs.
Snow could continue into Sunday midday, especially across the Avalon Peninsula, northeast coast, and parts of central Newfoundland, before gradually tapering off.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
Even with the snow expected Sunday, temperatures will trend milder again early next week. Much of Newfoundland could see a warm-up Tuesday into Wednesday.
However, colder air may return by the middle of the week, particularly across Labrador, where temperatures could drop back toward –19°C by Wednesday.
I’ll have my next update posted tomorrow morning!
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