Environment Canada has issued an orange winter storm warning for Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, as a major storm is expected to bring up to 50 centimetres of snow starting Monday night, March 23, 2026. An orange warning means the weather is expected to be severe enough to cause significant disruptions and could last for a few days.
Total snowfall is likely to reach between 20 and 40 centimetres, though some areas could see higher amounts with snow falling at a rate of five centimetres per hour at times. Strong winds will bring gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour on Tuesday before increasing to gusts of 100 kilometres per hour on Tuesday night, which will cause blowing snow and make it very difficult to see while outside.
Meteorologist Mike Vandenberg says the storm will change several times throughout Tuesday as temperatures rise above zero and then drop again. The snow will turn into ice pellets, freezing rain, and eventually rain before changing back to snow on Tuesday night, creating dangerous driving conditions for most of the day.
The City of Mount Pearl is urging residents to avoid travel that is not necessary and to ensure they have a 72-hour emergency kit ready at home. Officials also remind residents that the winter parking ban is in effect, which prevents parking on city streets between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m., during any active storm, and for 12 hours after a storm has ended.
While this storm is significant, it is less than the 93 centimetres of snow the city received during a record-breaking storm in January 2020. Residents should secure any loose items outside their homes and prepare for possible power outages until the weather clears on Wednesday.
