Extreme winter storm: Photos from eastern Newfoundland's monster blizzard
CBC News | Posted: January 18, 2020 6:12 PM | Last Updated: January 19, 2020
High winds leave snow piled so high it could take several days to dig out
An extreme blizzard left streets deserted across much of eastern Newfoundland, trapping some people in their homes and prompting officials to declare a state of emergency in St. John's.
Here are some scenes, below, of conditions in the provincial capital, where Mayor Danny Breen said businesses were to remain closed on Saturday and all vehicles are prohibited from using city streets, except emergency vehicles.
Snow was piled high over and around vehicles in the city's Battery neighbourhood.
Even those who managed to leave their homes had no way of travelling far.
At the peak of the storm on Friday, even snowplows were halted due to near-zero visibility.
This dog had to navigate around growing snowdrifts.
Snow surrounded the entrance to this basement apartment in the Airport Heights neighbourhood.
Here's a doorway that was previously blocked due to snow and high winds that hit 157 km/h at the storm's peak.
Some ventured out on Saturday to carve pathways around homes in the city.
The door of this shed blew open in the Kilbride neighbourhood of St. John's.
Blizzards are common in Newfoundland, but this storm was set apart by very strong winds and for breaking a single-day snowfall record, which was set in 1999.
Despite a state of emergency in St. John's that ordered business to close, people were seen lining up outside Walsh's Store on St. Clare Avenue on Saturday evening.
The queues continued on Sunday. The state of emergency ordered by the City of St. John's left many businesses closed — with the exception of pharmacies and service stations that provide fuel for snow removal.
Snow removal efforts ramped up on Sunday. Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan said up to 300 Canadian Armed Forces members are on their way.
But it wasn't all work in the capital. While the city pleaded for everyone to stay off the streets, some snowboarders found the fresh powder irresistible.
There was also a new arrival at the height of the blizzard on Friday — an aptly named one too. Levi Jacob Snow was born at the Health Sciences Centre; his father, Kyle Snow, posted a photo on a local storm information page asking for help shovelling out their home, and people answered the call.