TORONTO -- Those dreaming of a white Christmasin Newfoundland may be receiving a little more than they bargained for.
, much of Newfoundlandâs east coast is under a winter storm warning, where 30 centimetres of snow is expected on Christmas Eve, with an additional five to 10 centimetres expected overnight. Wind gusts could reach 100 kilometres per hour on Christmas Day as well.
The agency added that visibilitywill likely be near zero due to the snowfall, and suggested roadways maybe difficult to navigate.
âWeâre just going to make the best of it and probably do a little bit of sledding, make a snowman and whatever he wants to do,â a man outside playing with a boy told NTV.
The storm forced St. Johnâs International Airport to nearly halt all operations. Just two flights landed Tuesday morning, while dozens were either delayed or cancelled.
âWe didnât think we were going to get out of Halifax,â said one holiday traveller at the airport. âEverything else was cancelled.â
The snowfall doesnât appear to be an issue for those tasked with clearing the roads, however.
âItâs powdery stuff to be plowing,â said one snowplow driver. â(Itâs) nice and light. I donât mind it at all, Iâve got all my shopping done.â
The snowstorm forced the closure of all federal and provincial buildings for the day, but many downtownstores remained open for last-minute shoppers.
âMost people that were last-minute shopping are either going to brave the storm or they came out yesterday at the end of the day,â said one man. âItâs better for all of us to have a white Christmas than a green one.â
for Newfoundlandâs eastern coastline due to waves that could reach as high as nine metres later this week.
The agency added that another bout of snow is expected on Boxing Day, though it would not give an estimate regarding total accumulation.
With reports from NTVâs Ben Cleary and Jodi Cooke