Low-pressure records and high wind speeds highlight Environment Canada’s Storm Summary
Earlier today, Environment Canada issued a storm summary that highlighted the impacts of our latest winter storm, which rolled through between December 15 and 16, 2025. This storm was exceptional and set new records for the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in December for Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the second time such a record has been set in less than 6 weeks.
Furthermore, hurricane-force wind gusts were observed at multiple locations, with some locations experiencing blizzard-like conditions for hours. Some areas received significant rainfall following light snowfall.
Below is the storm summary from Environment Canada.
Weather summary for Newfoundland issued by Environment Canada at 12:24 p.m. NST Tuesday 16 December 2025. Discussion. A low pressure system developed south of Long Island on Sunday and tracked northeastward, crossing eastern Newfoundland late Monday while undergoing explosive intensification. The storm produced significant snowfall over areas west of its track. Near and east of the track, precipitation transitioned from snow through ice pellets and freezing rain to rain, before changing back to snow. Across southeasternmost areas, precipitation fell almost entirely as rain. Very strong winds developed in the wake of the low, resulting in a period of blizzard-like conditions where those winds coincided with fresh snowfall. Storm impacts included numerous power outages; toppling of trees in some areas; delays and suspensions to ferry, airline, and transit services; closures of schools and offices; and cancellations of numerous events. The storm also set new records for the lowest barometric pressure observed during the month of December in Newfoundland and Labrador. Lowest values measured at official stations Monday evening included: 948.1 mb at Pool's Island 948.7 mb at Twillingate 949.5 mb at Bonavista 949.7 mb at Gander International Airport 950.3 mb at Terra Nova National Park All of these values fell below the previous record of 950.7 mb for lowest pressure recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador during December, set at Cartwright on December 2, 1972. The following is a summary of weather event information received by Environment and Climate Change Canada as of 11:30 A.M. NST. Total snowfall in centimetres (Sunday night to Tuesday morning): Springdale: 53 * La Scie (auto): 49 Kippens: 39 * Millertown (auto): 39 Gander West: 35 * Grand Falls-Windsor: 25 * Deer Lake Airport: 24 Terra Nova National Park (auto): 22 * Lethbridge: 17 St. John's International Airport: 12 Note: Snowfall values from automated stations (auto) are derived from a combination of snow-depth sensor data and weighing gauge measurements. Total rainfall in millimetres (Sunday night to Monday night): St. Joseph's: 36 * St. Mary's: 32 * Cape Pine: 30 * Witless Bay: 30 * Argentia: 26 Trepassey: 26 * St. Lawrence: 24 * Cape Race: 21 St. John's West: 21 St. John's International Airport: 18 Maximum wind gusts in kilometres per hour (Monday night): Cape Race: 164 (see notes) Fogo Island: 151 * Old Perlican: 142 * Sagona Island: 140 Cape Pine: 140 * Bonavista: 139 Cape St. Mary's: 139 * St. John's International Airport: 137 Twillingate: 133 (see notes) Calvert: 132 * Trinity (Fort Point): 130 * Grates Cove: 129 Caplin Cove: 125 * Allan's Island: 123 * Pool's Island: 122 St. John's (East White Hills): 122 * St. John's (Robin Hood Bay): 121 * Pass Island: 120 * Lord's Cove: 119 * Bauline: 116 * Saint-Pierre Airport: 115 St. Anthony Airport: 113 Argentia: 108 Gander International Airport: 107 (see notes) Winterland: 107 St. Lawrence: 106 Port aux Basques: 103 Ferolle Point: 101 Notes: Data from Cape Race subject to review due to intermittent irregularities. Data incomplete from Twillingate and Gander International Airport due to sensor outages during peak winds. There is a high probability that the absolute maximum gusts were stronger. * denotes data from unofficial observation locations Please note that this summary may contain preliminary or unofficial information and does not constitute a complete or final report.
