Water, water everywhere as Newfoundland waits out daylong weather system
Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula and south and west coasts battled a messy mix of rain, snow and wind Wednesday, leading to near-impassable roads in some spots by evening.
Pooled water led to numerous reports of danger zones around the Avalon, including on highways.
Blowing snow also made for messy driving conditions in the affected areas.
Burin Peninsula RCMP said shortly after 12:30 Wednesday afternoon that about 20 vehicles were stuck in the snow along Route 220, just north of Terrenceville.
Police advised drivers to avoid any non-essential travel.
Some travellers have also reported getting stranded on the off-ramp from the Outer Ring Road onto Peacekeepers Way.
Earlier in the day, meteorologists reported eastern areas of Newfoundland could get up to 10 centimetres of snow before it changes to ice pellets and then to rain in the early afternoon.
Environment Canada warned the rain, combined with warm temperatures, could lead to flash flooding, or standing water on roads — a prediction largely realized as drivers reported white-knuckle conditions during their evening commutes.
Maximum wind gusts are expected to reach between 100 and 120 km/h over coastal areas along the southern Avalon Peninsula, lasting throughout the day and into Wednesday evening.
That could lead to property damage. The City of St. John's postponed garbage and recycling, and Mount Pearl has cancelled its recycling collection.
Temperatures are expected to drop throughout the region overnight Wednesday, which could freeze pooled water and lead to hazardous conditions Thursday.
In the Corner Brook area, 10 centimetres of snow and blowing snow was predicted for Wednesday morning, and another five to 15 centimetres Wednesday night.
Most schools on the west coast of the island that were closed for the morning, or had delaying openings, remained closed through the afternoon.
Newfoundland Power says outages caused by severe weather conditions have left about 700 customers without electricity in western Newfoundland, including Marble Mountain, which has closed for the day.
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