ST. JOHN'S, N.L. 芒鈧珺次元官网网址� A meteorologist with Environment Canada says a blizzard will cover Newfoundland in a thick layer of snow over the next few days.

Dale Foote says the slow-moving system is expected to stall off the Avalon peninsula as snowfall and heady winds spread across the island.

Many areas could see up to 30 centimetres of snowfall, says Foote, and some parts of the northeast coast may be buried in up to 55 centimetres of snow. He says blowing snow and winds gusting up to 100 km/h could make for treacherous driving conditions Sunday night and Monday, while ice pack building up along the coastline may make nautical travel more difficult.

He says the blizzard should abate by Tuesday 芒鈧珺次元官网网址� but winter is far from over in the province.

"It's been a long winter, and it's just turning now into a hard winter," he says. "We've had snow since December, and for a good chunk of the province, we haven't had much of a warm up."

Foote says like many residents in Newfoundland, he spent much of Saturday digging out his driveway from last week's storm, which put a cap on the record-breaking snowfalls some areas saw in March.

Parts of the province could see a brief reprieve as a low-pressure system moves west of the island next week, says Foote, possibly bringing rain and warmer temperatures. Still, he says, Newfoundlanders should keep their winter gear handy for at least the next few weeks.  

"This snow pack's not going away anytime soon," says Foote. "We're going to have snow on the ground here until May for sure."

The Canadian Press