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Labrador buried in record-breaking, paralyzing snow, Canada

ByJulie Celestial
labrado-record-breaking-snow-november-2020

Image credit: Philip Earle

A two-day blizzard that started Monday, November 23, brought record-breaking snow of up to 75 cm (30 inches) to Labrador, Canada, resulting in the closure of roads and offices, canceled flights, and suspended classes.

According to Environment Canada meteorologist David Neil, up to 75 cm (30 inches) of snow covered the Happy Valley-Goose Bay– its second-largest two-day snowfall. The record stands at 91 cm (36 inches) set on January 14 and 15 in 2006.

About 46.6 cm (18.3 inches) of snow fell in the area on Tuesday, smashing the town's past single-day November record of 40.6 cm (16 inches) registered in 1944, Neil added.

According to the Weather Network, this was the fifth time in the town's history since records started in 1942 that it registered more than 70 cm (27.5 inches) of snow.

At one point during the blizzard, snow was falling at an unprecedented rate of 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) an hour.

Strong winds with gusts between 80 and 90 km/h (50 and 56 mph) made for hazardous travel conditions, prompting Environment Canada to issue blizzard warnings.

The snow paralyzed many parts of Labrador, forcing closures of roads, canceling flights, and suspending classes and offices.

"Blizzard warnings are issued when widespread reduced visibilities of 400 m (1 300 feet) or less are expected for at least 4 hours," the warning said.

The extreme weather conditions were due to a potent low, which had already hit Ontario and Quebec last weekend and also brought heavy rains and strong winds to Newfoundland through Tuesday.

In early November, a strong low-pressure system brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the Canadian Prairies, setting all-time November snow records.

Kindersley recorded 11.6 cm (4.5 inches) and 35.8 cm (14 inches) on November 7 and 8, respectively– breaking the previous 24-hour snowfall record of 21.3 cm (8.3 inches) set on March 17, 1974.

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