NTV’s Chief Meteorologist Eddie Sheerr shares his thoughts on the record-breaking historic ‘Snowmageddon’ that rocked the island in this deep dive into winter!
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In the days leading up to the province’s worst storm in decades, Eddie Sheerr was tracking a weather system that, even he admits, looked historic.
The weather models appeared ominous, promising a winter blizzard that would paralyze the province’s east coast. NTV’s chief meteorologist was staring down maps predicting, incredibly, in excess of 80 cm of snow with hurricane-force winds.
An indomitable force
Fittingly, the wintry tempest was striking Jan. 17, just one day after the country mourned the death of patriot John Crosbie – a political lion notorious for igniting some intense storms during his exalted career. Canada’s political royalty, past and present, gathered inside an old cathedral to say goodbye at a state funeral viewed by the nation.
Like Crosbie’s indomitable force, this storm, too, would prove legendary and Sheerr knew it. He shared the weather warnings days earlier with Premier Dwight Ball and federal minister Seamus O’Regan at NTV studios, cautioning that “this one looks really bad.”
Sheerr, of course, had been fixated on the system for days and, as predicted, his forecast was precise. The storm dumped over 30 inches of snow on the province’s capital, a new record, and packed wind gusts as high as 130 km/h.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” says Sheerr, who literally worked around the clock for days, delivering the latest information to viewers at home and across the nation.
Sheerr, like most, was confined to his home for part of the 17th, navigating through the early hours of a week-long state-of-emergency that would literally cripple the city. A snow-plow operator, however, would manage to get him to NTV’s studios for the NTV Evening Newshour to update the province.
“It’s a day I think most of us will remember for a very long time,” he says.
One of the nation’s most-trusted meteorologists, the 35-year-old left his post at an ABC affiliate in Colorado in 2013 for a brave opportunity at NTV, chasing ‘weather-on-steroids’-type systems like the one folks in this province aptly dubbed Snowmageddon.
Historic storm
As a kid, he was fascinated with snow and would stare out the window to watch those first snowflakes. When pictures of the historic storm emerged, his uncle Marc reminded him that, yes, this is exactly the type of storm that little boy was looking for all those years ago. “This one was the most intense I’ve ever seen,” he says.
Sheerr worked tirelessly prior to, during and after the storm – from early-morning NTV and CTV hits, on provincial and national television, to an unparalleled social media presence where viewers could find him almost any minute of the day. “He’s an incredible talent and we’re blessed to have him,” says Mark Dwyer, NTV’s Director of News and Current Affairs. “His knowledge, reliability and commitment to his craft has earned him the respect of his peers, and viewers.”
Things certainly aren’t slowing down for Sheerr. Over 300 cm has fallen on St. John’s as of Feb. 12, the latest a pre-Valentine’s Day 20 cm dump that pierced the hearts of students with yet another cozy snow day. Yes, it’s been that type of winter.
Weather Photo Contest
Sheerr, however, is looking forward to his next adventure with work stops in central Newfoundland and the province’s west coast in the coming weeks. And with a brand new 2020 Subaru Crosstrek on the line, he’ll be inundated with thousands of pictures in the coming weeks as part of the ever-popular NTV Weather Photo Contest.
“The interaction I have with our viewers is something I always enjoy so it should be a fun few months.”
Let’s just hope the next ‘Snowmageddon’ is nowhere on his radar.