It’s been one hell of a weekend in eastern Canada. Less of a “snow day,” more of a—and, yes, this is a real weather term—“bomb cyclone.” The capital of Newfoundland, St. John’s, was hit with 30 inches of snow in 24 hours, shattering a previous record, the Weather Channel reported. Officials also recorded snowdrifts as high as 15 feet on some highways, more than a few of which required help from Canadian armed forces to clear.
While the province is no stranger to blizzards, this storm’s sheer ferocity prompted a state of emergency on Friday. Between the record snowfalls and nearly hurricane-force winds buffeting the area, one veteran meteorologist of the area, Eddie Sheerr, called it “the worst winter storm I have ever seen.” And judging from the footage he and other residents shared on Twitter, that’s no exaggeration.
This is the worst winter storm I have ever seen. Period. #NLwx pic.twitter.com/D0M67q6vgJ
— Eddie Sheerr (@EddieSheerr) January 17, 2020
This. Is. Crazy. #StateofEmergency #nlwhiteout #snowstorm #nlweather #blizzard #Newfoundland #nlblizzard2020 #nlstorm #nltraffic @VOCMNEWS @hitsfm #Snowpocalypse2020 #Snowmageddon pic.twitter.com/eanqZGKdLo
— Samantha Foley (@SamanthaLee20) January 18, 2020
The unprecedented snowfall in St. John’s buried countless cars overnight, including this one. #NLStorm2020 pic.twitter.com/oYDY3ujbJG
— CBC Newfoundland and Labrador (@CBCNL) January 19, 2020
This is looking out my living room window! As we say in Bonavista, it’s Mudless Rough!! #snowmaggedon2020 #nlwx #nlstorm pic.twitter.com/SkzF2IjKsI
— Mark Gray 🇨🇦 (@GrayMarker99) January 17, 2020
A very special shoutout to this user, though, for their glorious contribution to #stormageddon2020 coverage.
I went outside in THIS for THIS. #nlwx #stormageddon2020 #nlweather #nlblizzard2020 #darknl #newfoundland pic.twitter.com/NSuiaCoGrM
— Cardeladida🐝🍷🇨🇦🏳️🌈 (@ctrain_nl) January 17, 2020
While the storm has since moved on towards Greeland, a state of emergency remains in effect as some 7,000 residents still lack power, according to the Washington Post. While that’s down from an estimated peak of 10,000 people on Friday, even quantifying the blizzard’s aftermath remains a task in and of itself.
“Our crews are out, patrolling by foot where necessary, to assess storm damage,” Newfoundland Power tweeted Saturday. “Heavy snow drifts and narrow roads are making getting around tough.”
For now, it seems all Newfoundlanders can do is tuck in and hibernate. Right after sharing this ridiculous—even by their standards!—snowfall on social media, of course.
Mildly claustrophobic this morning. Otherwise, slushie anyone? #snowmaggedon2020 #nlblizzard2020 #blizzard2020 #nlwx #NLblizzard pic.twitter.com/8uoSQZGZG0
— David Mo (@Davidcfmo) January 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/a/status/1218203874869350401
This has never happened in the 10 years we have lived here! #nlwx #nlblizzard2020 #snowmaggedon2020 #nlweather pic.twitter.com/Td84BCdHmB
— Sam Rose Artist (@art_colored) January 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/a/status/1218508660474818560
https://twitter.com/a/status/1218358113629241344
https://twitter.com/a/status/1218963504822210565
‘This is how a close-knit neighbourhood stays connected,’ says Wally Meade, showing off his local cul-de-sac maze in Conception Bay South, N.L. ❄ #nlwx #nlblizzard2020 pic.twitter.com/apTsZWHeKc
— CBC Newfoundland and Labrador (@CBCNL) January 20, 2020