Cleanup underway as 'good old fashioned blizzard' hits Avalon Peninsula
St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said to expect snow clearing into Tuesday
The Avalon Peninsula is being slammed with its first blizzard of the new year, shuttering schools across the region and grounding some flights.
Environment Canada meteorologist Allison Sheppard said the St. John's International Airport recorded 38 centimetres of snowfall with winds gusting up to 104 kilometres per hour.
"So really, a good old fashioned blizzard," Sheppard told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.
"I think the worst of it is over, in terms of snowfall. But it's going to be awhile before things start to clear up for everyone out there," she said.
Crews cleaning up
St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said city crews are on the streets, clearing snow.
"It's a major, major undertaking. But our crews are out, working away at it and hopefully when it abates a bit, we can get ahead of it a bit more," he said.
Breen said people staying off the road helps the city's snow clearing effort and the city website now has a section for weather updates that people can check out for the latest information.
Deputy public works manager Lynnann Winsor told reporters later on Monday that about 200 staff and over 60 pieces of equipment are on the road on a typical snow clearing shift. Winsor said the city aims to have streets widened by 1 p.m. Tuesday.
"We are working as fast as we can to get all streets cleared, but it will take some time," she said during a Monday afternoon news conference.
'Good news'
"The good news is, things are starting to taper off. Most of the heavy snow is now offshore. But we are still seeing some flurries," said CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler.
While the current snowfall amount is 38 centimetres, she expects there could be a few additional centimetres before it ends in the afternoon. She said winds are now gusting around 94 kilometres per hour, with sustained winds around 60 kilometres per hour.
"Expecting these winds to stay between 80 to 100 for the next couple of hours. But the unfortunate thing is, is the winds are going to stay up this afternoon. So these northwesterly winds are going to be gusting anywhere from about 40 to as much as 70 kilometres per hour this afternoon," said Brauweiler.
Delays, closures, reopenings
Canada Post announced it was suspending deliveries for St. John's, and it would not send out its postal workers due to the poor weather.
However, other parts of the province — including other parts of the Avalon Peninsula, Bonavista Peninsula, the central area of the island and Labrador — could expect deliveries, but there may be delays, the company said.
MetroBus and GoBus announced its fleet would be back on St. John's streets at 2 p.m.
Across the Avalon, NL Schools announced all schools were closed for the day. St. Bonaventure's College in St. John's, École Rocher-du-Nord and the King's Bridge Montessori school are also remaining closed.
Memorial University also says its St. John's campuses, including the Marine Institute and Signal Hill campuses and childcare centre, will be closed all day.
The weather is also resulting in business closures.
The Public Service Credit Union on Empire Avenue is staying closed for the rest of the day.
Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation store in the St. John's region, as well as the distribution centre, will open at 4 p.m. Meanwhile, the store in Placentia will open at 1 p.m. and the locations in Bay Roberts and Carbonear will open at 2 p.m.
Head Office and Rock Spirits will remain closed for the day.
The storm is also impacting the St. John's International Airport, with several flights either cancelled or delayed.
The Bell Island ferries MV Beaumont Hamel and MV Flanders are also staying dockside due to the poor weather conditions.
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The adverse weather is also impacting municipalities in the region. The City of St. John's is keeping city hall closed for the entire day, but the Paul Reynolds Community Centre and the H.G.R. Mew Community Centre will open at 3 p.m. All other community centres will open for evening programs.
The Robin Hood Bay Waste Management Facility will remain open, however public drop off will be closed.
The town of Paradise also decided to close its town hall and Paradise Double Ice Complex for the day due to weather conditions.
The town of Conception Bay South said its town hall, recreation complex, CBS arena and Robert French Memorial Stadium will be closed during the morning, with an update later.
The snow started Sunday night around 8 p.m. and tapered off through the afternoon.
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With files from Ashley Brauweiler and The St. John's Morning Show