Expected snowfall caused schools in a wide area of eastern Newfoundland to close their doors on Friday.

The Ministry of Education issued the call at 6 a.m., closing all schools in the St. John's metro area, as well as remote schools such as Clarenville, Bonavista, and Grand Bank.

The full list of public school closures can be found here, and Memorial University also closed its campus, although online courses may continue. Earlier Friday morning, the provincial government announced its offices in the St. John's area would be closed all day.

Most of the Avalon Peninsula is under a winter storm warning, with expected snowfall between 20 and 35 cm until Saturday. Things will be further complicated by winds reaching speeds of 80 kilometers per hour, causing snow drifts and reduced visibility.

Ashley Proweller, a meteorologist at CBC, said that the winds and snow could combine to form blizzard conditions.

The snowfall, which began Friday morning, is expected to intensify throughout the afternoon and peak in the evening.

Clarenville, the Burin Peninsula, and the Bonavista Peninsula are under winter storm watches and are expected to see between 10 and 20 cm of snow.

On the bright side, Proweller said cleanup should be relatively easy once the winds calm down on Saturday.

Adding, "This won't be a cement-type snow event." "It should be relatively easy to shovel, and your snow removal device should have no trouble clearing it."