St. Patrick’s has come and gone, and the late March storm phenomenon known locally as Sheila’s Brush is setting its sights on the eastern portion of the island.

A major storm bringing heavy snowfall, high winds and a messy mix of rain and freezing rain is forecast to move over the Avalon Peninsula and eastern Newfoundland starting tonight and continuing through to tomorrow afternoon.

Environment Canada has issued an orange storm warning for the Avalon Peninsula starting this evening.

Meteorologist Jim Prime says snowfall amounts will be significant, followed by a period of rain and freezing rain for southern areas.

He says the Avalon can expect snowfall amount of between 20 and 40 cm, with lesser amounts for eastern Newfoundland and central, before warmer air turns the precipitation to rain.

Snow to change to rain, ice pellets for some areas

He says residents of the Avalon could see rain, ice pellets, and freezing rain “and there could be some significant (rainfall) amounts.”

Late March storms a common phenomenon

He says late March storms are not unusual due to a number of reasons.

“You have the warm air to the south trying to come north, we have the longer days, we still have the colder air to the north, so when we kind of combine these two air masses together with a storm system there’s a lot of energy to draw from.”

He says the system has resulted in some lighting strikes in Nova Scotia and he says thunder storm activity is also possible as the system moves over Newfoundland.