The blizzard that bypassed New York City on Tuesday night went on to became one of the strongest winter storms to churn the waters of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, striking Canada with its full fury.

he storm slammed the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, bringing winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane, waves that exceeded 45 feet in height, and close to two feet of wind-blasted snow.

The storm was so strong that reporters for The Weather Network, the Canadian equivalent to The Weather Channel, had trouble battling the elements during their live shots. In this video, Weather Network meteorologists Chris Scott and Mark Robinson were wiped out of camera-range at about the one minute mark during a report from Grand Etang, Nova Scotia.

According to Weather Underground chief meteorologist Jeff Masters, Grand Etang recorded peak sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, with gusts to 102 miles per hour. This location, Masters said, can experience especially strong southeast winds enhanced by nearby terrain. "These southeasterly winds travel up over Cape Breton and a funneling effect intensifies them as they blow downslope toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence," he said in a blog post on Thursday.

The storm was noteworthy for intensifying so quickly, going from an ordinary low pressure system to a monstrous storm with a central pressure of 955 millibars — which is about as strong as a winter storm can get in this area.

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