Eleven centimetres and counting. The onslaught from Mother Nature began at about 3:00 this morning with no let up.

Schools are closed, government offices are shutting down, the university is closed, Metrobus and GoBus are idle, NLC stores in metro are closed, many flights have been cancelled and the Avalon Mall is closed.

The Department of Highways does not recommend travel in many areas including some highways in metro, rural parts of the Avalon and on the Burin Peninsula.

Rodney Barney, a meteorologist with the Gander Weather Office, says many areas of the stormbelt will have a lot of digging out to do.

Some places could have as much as 60 cm once all is said and done with about 30 cm by suppertime today, another 15 tonight and another 5 to 10 tomorrow.

Cst. Dave Borden of the RCMP has been out and about on the Avalon Peninsula since daybreak. He says driving is difficult in some areas including on the ramps and in exposed areas. In the Butter Pot Park area, the winds are whipping that snow around.

There is a storm surge warning for the area from Cape Spear to Bonavista North with the most vulnerable period being late tonight.