Schools closed across eastern Newfoundland as storm draws closer

A forecasted dump of snow has caused schools across a wide area of eastern Newfoundland to shut their doors on Friday.

The Department of Education made the call at 6 a.m., closing all schools in the metro St. John's region, as well as schools as far away as Clarenville, Bonavista and Grand Bank.

A full list of public school closures can be found here. Memorial University also closed its metro campuses, though online courses may still go ahead.

The majority of the Avalon Peninsula is under a winter storm warning, with between 20 and 35 cm of snow expected to fall throughout Friday into Saturday. That will be complicated by winds gusting up to 80 kilometres per hour, causing blowing snow and poor visibility.

"Depending on the track of the system as it develops today, amounts could change," said Angelie Menard, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Snow will begin in the morning, growing heavier throughout the afternoon and reaching its peak in the evening.

Clarenville, the Burin Peninsula and Bonavista Peninsula are under a winter storm watch. Those regions are expected to see between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow.