ST. JOHN’S — Air Canada and WestJet have issued travel alerts for flights in and out of Gander and St. John’s, Newfoundland in the wake of a fierce winter storm that brought more than 20 centimetres of snow.

The arrivals and departures listings at the St. John’s International Airport’s website (stjohnsairport.com) show numerous cancellations for Jan. 2 from airlines including Air Canada, WestJet and Porter. A few flights from carriers like PAL Airlines are making it through.

Both Air Canada and WestJet have posted travel advisories for both Gander (YQX) and St. John’s (YYT), waiving change fees for passengers who wish to make changes to their Jan. 2 flight plans.

St. John’s International Airport reported receiving 23 cm of snow, while Gander got 24 cm and Deer Lake about 18 cm.

The snow was expected to taper to flurries or drizzle and then become heavier with another system moving in later in the day, with winds gusting to 110 kilometres an hour in some areas.

Heavy snow pounded St. John’s, but the central and Bonavista areas were the hardest hit with forecasts saying they could get anywhere between 30 to 45 cm of snow.

With files from The Canadian Press