‘Old guy with a ruler’ has gone viral for documenting Newfoundland’s record-breaking winter

A 62-year-old retiree with an arsenal of rulers has been keeping people informed about snowfall in eastern Newfoundland during a record-breaking winter.

Lloyd Leaman has been diligently measuring snowfall in his backyard in Paradise, N.L., and posting the results to social media since January 2024.

His careful measurements are regularly cited by Environment Canada meteorologists in media interviews and in the federal agency’s weather summaries.

Eastern Newfoundland has been pounded by back-to-back storms, and meteorologist David Neal says snowfall recorded at the St. John’s International Airport this month has already set a record for February.

On Sunday, during the last big snowfall, Leaman posted his first tally just after 5:30 a.m. and followed up almost every hour until 9:30 p.m., when he reported a staggering total of 79.5 centimetres.

When asked for an interview by The Canadian Press, he joked that he never imagined an “old guy with a ruler” would be interesting to the media.

Leaman says storm watching is in his blood as a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador, a province known for rainstorms, hurricanes and blizzards.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 26, 2026.

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