ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Environment Canada says a “major” winter storm is expected to bury swaths of eastern Newfoundland in a thick layer of snow.
The agency says between 25 and 30 centimetres of snowfall is expected to spread across the Avalon Peninsula on Saturday.
The Clarenville area, Burin Peninsula and Bonavista Peninsula are forecasted to see between 15 and 25 centimetres of snow.
Meteorologists have issued blowing snow warnings for several areas, and say gusts reaching up to 120 kilometres per hour along the coast could lead to near-zero visibility.
Drivers have been encouraged to avoid non-essential travel until conditions improve.
Forecasts predict the snowfall will become increasingly heavy Saturday afternoon before tapering off around midnight.