3-day storm bringing rain, freezing rain, snow

Much of the island is preparing for a stretch of messy weather that began Thursday, with school closures in parts of eastern and central Newfoundland.

Blizzard warnings are in effect, beginning Friday for the east and north east coasts

Geoff Bartlett, Garrett Barry · CBC News · Posted: Mar 30, 2017 6:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: March 31, 2017

Much of the island of Newfoundland is set for messy winter weather into the weekend. (Reuters)

Schools closed in some parts of eastern and central Newfoundland Thursday morning, in the first of what is likely to be several days of messy winter weather.

Check the CBC NL Storm Centre to see a full list of closures and cancellations

Environment Canada has issued warnings for almost all parts of central and eastern Newfoundland, which will see a mix of freezing rain, rain, wind, and snow.

Blizzard warnings are in effect, with conditions expected to begin Friday for the east and northeast coasts, all the way from Clarenville to St. Anthony.

Sloppy and slippery on the TCH east of GFW. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nlwx?src=hash">#nlwx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NLtraffic?src=hash">#NLtraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/ULWjvhVUdq">pic.twitter.com/ULWjvhVUdq</a>
—@ChrisEnsingCBC

A mixed bag for Avalon Peninsula

The Avalon Peninsula is getting a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain between now and the end of Saturday.

Several different weather warnings are in effect for much of Newfoundland and parts of southeast Labrador as two weather systems move in at the same time Thursday. (Environment Canada)

Freezing rain is expected to begin Thursday, which will switch to rain over most of the Avalon Peninsula. Rainfall amounts will range between 20 and 55 mm.

Areas on the coast and in lower elevation could see more rain than freezing rain due to the lower temperatures.

By Friday morning that freezing rain will then change over to snow which is expected to continue through Saturday morning.

Wind gusts of 80 km/h are expected Thursday night and could get as high as 100 km/h for most of Friday, especially near exposed areas.

Messy commute

According to Tabea Fieschter at the Gander Weather Office, the combination of snow and freezing rain could make for a very dangerous Friday morning commute.

"You have all that snow before hand and then the freezing rain and rain on top of that," she said. "Temperatures the whole time are right around zero."

Due to weather forecasts, <a href="https://twitter.com/TW_GovNL">@TW_GovNL</a> is extending overnight snow clearing operations beyond normally scheduled end date March 31 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nltraffic?src=hash">#nltraffic</a>
—@TW_GovNL

Six flights were cancelled, and more were delayed at St. John's airport as of Thursday evening, and Air Canada is already warning people to expect disruptions over the next five days.

Clarenville and eastern

Areas west of the Avalon will see Thursday's snow and drizzle switch to freezing rain, rain, then back to snow by Friday, according to Environment Canada.

Blizzard warnings are in effect, beginning Friday for the east and northeast coasts, all the way from Clarenville to St. Anthony.

Snow will slow by early Saturday, but about 15 to 20 centimetres is expected to fall before then.

Slightly less is expected for the Burin Peninsula. But in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor, the snow is expected to be consistent throughout Thursday and Friday, and could dump about 35 to 45 centimetres by early Saturday.

Northern coasts and Labrador

Green Bay-White Bay up to the eastern coast of the Northern Peninsula are expected to get anywhere between 15 to 50 cm of snow, with gusts of up to 80 km/h.

In Labrador, blowing snow advisories are in effect for Norman Bay to Lodge Bay. The area could see 10-15 cm accumulate by Friday morning.