Spring Storm Looks to Dump Over 10cm of Snow Across Parts of New Brunswick and PEI

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It may be Spring now, but Winter is not giving up without a fight in the Maritimes. Snow will make its return to the region later today and continue into Tuesday morning.

The snow will begin in Western New Brunswick late this afternoon, spreading across the province through the evening. It will also start to snow lightly in Western Nova Scotia in the evening, crossing through to the eastern half of the province and into PEI later in the evening and into the overnight hours.

The snow will be steady and possibly heavy at times across New Brunswick and PEI, which will drive up accumulation totals. The snow, however, will be short-lived in Nova Scotia. After a couple of hours, the snow in Nova Scotia will transition over to rain, with a brief period of ice pellets and freezing rain in between. The majority of the precipitation from this system will end up falling as rain across Nova Scotia, with roughly 10-20mm expected across the province.

The Fundy Coast and both Kings and Queens Counties could see a bit of this mixed precipitation overnight and early Tuesday morning followed by some scattered showers. For the most part, however, both provinces can expect mostly snow over the next 24 hours. The precipitation will start to taper off from west to east during the early morning hours tomorrow and ending across the region by the mid-morning.

Overall, both New Brunswick and PEI can expect over 5cm of snow, with widespread 10-20cm likely across New Brunswick and in Prince County. In Nova Scotia, the transition to rain will limit snowfall totals to less than 5cm, but there is the possibility of more than 5cm falling in the Cape Breton Highlands.

This is just the beginning of what could be an active week for the region and we’re already watching the possibility of another storm hitting late Wednesday.

More Freezing Rain & Snow in Store, Potential for Flash Freeze Across the Maritimes on Friday

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The moisture-laden Colorado Low that has brought a mixed bag of precipitation to the Maritimes over the past two days appears to have one last trick up its sleeve. Cold air will flood into the region overnight, transitioning the rain over to snow and bringing some further complications.

In New Brunswick, the rain will start to switch over at around 1-2AM, however there will be a couple of hours of freezing rain in Central and Northern New Brunswick once again before the change over to snow. The heaviest snow is expected to fall in Carleton and Victoria Counties and northward into Madawaska and parts of Restigouche. This region can expect 10-20cm of snow by Saturday morning and the possibility of locally higher amounts, particularly in Madawaska County. Much of the rest of the province will see 5-10cm, with the exception of along the Fundy Coast and into the Southeast and Moncton area, where less than 5cm is anticipated.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 5AM AT Friday

In Western Nova Scotia, the rain will taper off in the early morning hours of Friday, but it will be replaced by snow starting at around 8-9AM. The snow will be light and short-lived for much of the western half of the Mainland, but it will remain fairly steady in the Annapolis Valley through the afternoon and into the evening, leading to 5-10cm by the end of the day.

Across the rest of Mainland Nova Scotia, snowfall will be light and scattered as the band of snow makes its way across the province, leading to up to 5cm. The snow will eventually begin in Cape Breton late Friday evening, where it will continue through to Saturday morning. Most of the Island can expect 5-10cm, with lesser amounts around Sydney and up to 20cm in the Highlands.

The snow in Prince Edward Island, like in most of Nova Scotia, will also be very light and patchy. It will reach the province in the evening and the scattered flurries will continue into Saturday morning, leading to up to 5cm across the Island.

Modelled Temperatures at 9PM Thursday

Modelled Temperatures at 1PM Friday

The drop in temperatures that will cause the transition from rain to snow has another considerable implication. Temperatures are expected to plummet to several degrees below freezing across the region, after climbing into the double digits Thursday, and when combined with the preceding rain and melt-water, most of the Maritimes is under the threat of a flash freeze occurring on Friday.

This potential flash freeze could lead to wet, untreated surfaces quickly becoming icy and making travel hazardous as the temperatures drop across the region. Adding a layer of snow on top of this ice will keep things quite slippery as well.

The winds are expected to pick up on Friday, gusting up to 70km/h through most of the afternoon and then as high as 100km/h beginning in the evening and continuing for most of Saturday. These strong winds will likely reduce visibility due to blowing snow, both during and after the snow has stopped falling, and possibly lead to localized power outages.

Threat of Localized Flooding & Freezing Rain Risk in New Brunswick with the Arrival of a Winter Storm Wednesday

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A Colorado Low is set to move through the Maritimes this week, bringing a mixture of rain, freezing rain, and snow to the region, along with the risk of flooding as temperatures rise.

Brief light snow will begin in Southwestern New Brunswick at around sunrise on Wednesday, spreading northeastward into the province throughout the morning and early afternoon. There is a chance for some freezing drizzle around Saint John mixed with the snow. Meanwhile in Nova Scotia, the precipitation will fall as rain across much of the western half of the province, aside from some light snow expected in Northern Nova Scotia.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 1PM AT Wednesday

By the mid-afternoon, the bulk of the moisture from the system will push eastward into the region, bringing rain to Nova Scotia and Southern New Brunswick while Central and Northern New Brunswick will start to receive snow. The precipitation will reach PEI later in the afternoon as a mix of rain and snow across the Island.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 12AM AT Thursday

Starting in the evening, the warm air and rain will start to push northward, leading to a transition from snow to a few hours of freezing rain across Central and Northern New Brunswick, as well as into PEI and Cape Breton. The freezing rain will continue overnight and into early Thursday morning. Ice accretions of up to 5mm are likely, but buildup will be short-lived as the temperatures will continue to rise and the freezing rain will switch over to rain for the remainder of Thursday.

Ahead of the transition to freezing rain and rain, up to 10cm of snow will fall, with the highest amounts expected in Retigouche County and into the Acadian Peninsula.

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Not only will the fresh snowfall melt with the rain and temperatures climbing into the double digits on Thursday, but a considerable amount of pre-existing snowpack, especially across New Brunswick will also melt. Parts of Central and Northern New Brunswick have over 70cm of snow on the ground as of Tuesday evening and that value is expected to drop to below 50cm in some areas by Friday. Similarly, Moncton and Saint John, where 10-20cm is already on the ground, could see most, if not all, of their snow melt.

This rapid melting of the snow, along with some heavy rain expected later in the day on Thursday, has led to a significant flooding threat across New Brunswick. The ground is still frozen and recent frigid temperatures have led to ice buildup on lakes and rivers, which will limit where the water from the snow melt and rain can go.

The situation in Nova Scotia and into PEI is less widespread with lesser snowpack overall. There are some areas in Nova Scotia that have up to 30cm of snow on the ground that will almost completely melt, namely in the Annapolis Valley and in Cumberland and Colchester Counties. Those in Cape Breton can expect to see some of their snowpack melt, but the Highlands will experience very little change. In Prince Edward Island, on the other hand, next to no snow will remain on the Island come Friday aside from pockets of up to 5cm possibly remaining in Prince and/or Kings Counties.

The modelled depth of snow across Atlantic Canada, in centimetres, as of 8pm Tuesday.

Another Major Winter Storm Looks to Make a Mess of the Maritimes This Weekend

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The latest storm is barely in our rear-view mirror and we’re already looking ahead to the next one. This incoming storm, with a projected track that keeps shifting considerably over the span of a few hours between weather model runs, is slated to hit the Maritimes on Sunday and continue through most of Monday.

Similar to the storm that just hit the region, the next storm will bring a range of precipitation types due to the presence of warm air. Unfortunately, the amount of precipitation with this next storm is expected to be much greater and current projections show up to 60cm of snow possible in Northern New Brunswick and over 10mm of ice accretion across parts of Nova Scotia, PEI, and into Southern New Brunswick.

At this point, there is still some considerable uncertainty regarding the timing, precipitation types and the amount of each expected locally. This will be dependent on the exact path the storm will take as it makes its final approach into the region and how far north the warm air aloft will extend. We hope to have greater clarity of the situation over the next 24 hours and we will provide more details ASAP.

Precipitation Types with temperature profiles

Strong Winter Storm Expected to Bring Over 30cm of Snow and Prolonged Freezing Rain to the Maritimes

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The winter storm that we’ve been tracking is bearing down on the Maritimes and things are going to be messy over the next couple of days. Not only will this storm bring significant amounts of snow to parts of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, but there is expected to be several hours of freezing rain across Nova Scotia.

The storm will make its way into the region at around 9-10am on Thursday, with snow crossing eastward into New Brunswick from Maine and Quebec. The snow will quickly cross the province throughout the remainder of the morning, with the leading edge reaching PEI by 1-2pm.

By the early afternoon, more intense snowfall will begin to fall in New Brunswick. This heavy snow will persist for several hours across most of Central and Northern New Brunswick, at rates of 3-5cm/hr, which will rapidly result in over 30cm of snowfall accumulation by the end of the day.

Prince County, PEI can also expect some heavier snowfall beginning in the mid-afternoon and continuing into the evening, which will lead to overall accumulations of 15-30cm. The heavy snowfall will start to weaken during the evening, but light snow is expected to continue to fall overnight and through early Friday morning across Northern New Brunswick and into PEI.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 5PM AT Thursday

Snowfall totals decrease moving southward through New Brunswick and eastward across PEI because the forecast is a bit more complicated there, along with throughout Nova Scotia. Precipitation will reach the western shores of Nova Scotia at around 10-11am Thursday, not long after it starts in New Brunswick. The leading edge of the storm will see the precipitation start off as light snow as it crosses the province, but it will very quickly transition over to freezing rain, with a brief period of ice pellets in between.

This change in precipitations types will occur as a result of warm air aloft nudging its way into the region from the south. The warmer air will spread across a wide area and will lead to pronged freezing rain over much of Nova Scotia, with upwards of 5mm of ice accretion on untreated surfaces.

Precipitation Types with temperature profiles

The depth of the layer of warm air will play a critical role in precipitation type. As the warm air tries to push further northward, the layer will become shallower and this will lead to a slightly longer period of ice pellets (also called sleet) before it eventually switches over to freezing rain.

This will be the case in Northern Nova Scotia and into Cape Breton Island, as well as with most of PEI and Southern New Brunswick. In these areas, the ice pellets will add to the prior snowfall totals before there is a short-lived period of freezing rain and therefore less ice accretion overall.

Eventually, the warm air will reach the surface and temperatures will climb above freezing, starting in Western Nova Scotia at roughly 2-3pm. This will lead to the precipitation making a final transition from freezing rain to rain for a few hours as the storm continues to cross the region.

The precipitation across the region will taper off throughout Thursday evening. As previously mentioned, some light snow is expected to continue in Northern New Brunswick and PEI overnight, however, freezing rain is also expected to last in Cape Breton into the early morning hours of Friday as well.

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This storm is expected to bring some strong wind gusts to go alongside with the mixed bag of precipitation throughout the Maritimes. The gusts are expected to be the strongest across Nova Scotia, with gusts of 60-90km/h for the duration of the storm across the Mainland and over 100km/h in Northern Cape Breton. In New Brunswick and PEI, winds will be weaker, but gusts up to 60km/h are likely.

Luckily, the temperatures climbing after the freezing rain will help melt the ice buildup off of surfaces, especially from trees and power lines, ahead of stronger winds expected on Friday.

First Look: Major Winter Storm Set to Bring a Mixed Bag of Precipitation to the Maritimes

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Over the past few days, we’ve been monitoring the development of a major winter storm with the potential to have a significant impact in the Maritimes. In that time, the projected track of the storm has shifted back and forth, making it difficult to determine how exactly the storm would impact different parts of the region. Now that we’re less than 36 hours out, we’re starting to get a clearer picture of what can be expected from this storm.

The storm will begin early Thursday morning by bringing snow into the region from the west. Currently, it appears that the entirety of the Maritimes will see at least some snow, however precipitation won’t remain as snow for the entire storm for many in the region.

There is a high risk for prolonged freezing rain across parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Southern New Brunswick as warm air is expected to flood northward throughout the day on Thursday. The freezing rain will eventually transition to rain in Nova Scotia, PEI and along the Fundy Coast in New Brunswick with the climbing temperatures, which may approach the double digits in Western Nova Scotia. The warm air should thankfully limit the impact of the freezing rain in many areas since a majority of the ice accretion should melt.

In Northern New Brunswick, on the other hand, the snow is expected to not only persist throughout the entire event, but will also be quite heavy. Early estimates are pointing at upwards of 40cm of snow here by the time the storm exits the region early Friday morning.

Exact timing, along with anticipated snowfall and freezing rain totals across the region, will be discussed in a full-length forecast that will be issued Wednesday evening so make sure to stay tuned for that.

Last Year Was a Record-Breaking Tornado Season in Canada, According to Northern Tornadoes Project

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The Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP), based out of Western University in London, Ontario, has just released their annual report on the 2024 tornado season. In it, the organization highlights that last year was a record-breaking year in terms of the length of the season.

Canada’s first tornado of the year was recorded in Malden Centre, Ontario on March 16th, coincidentally tying a tornado that hit Clifford, Ontario on March 16th, 2016 as the earliest recorded Ontario tornado. There were then a series of several late-season tornadoes that the NTP recorded: three individual twisters in New Brunswick on November 1st and the final tornado of the year near Fergus, Ontario on November 10th.

All told, this makes the 2024 tornado season 240 days long, over a span of nine different months. This is considerably longer than the typical season, which usually only has tornadoes in six separate months, from April to September. At this length, 2024 was the longest tornado season since at least 1980.

Another substantial finding in the report is that the 2024 tornado season was marked by the second-most tornadoes verified by the organization in a single season since their inception in 2017, with 129 tornadoes confirmed nationwide. A large spike in the total number came after the completion of the season, when the team could conduct further investigation and satellite review, which subsequently included an additional 16 tornadoes to the tally!

Most of the year’s tornadoes were rated as weak EF0s and EF1s, but the NTP did record 12 EF2 tornadoes. While this is double the amount from 2023, it is well below the 30+ recorded in both 2021 and 2022, both very active tornado seasons. Of these EF2 tornadoes, all but one (the Wolverton-Ayr tornado in Southern Ontario) occurred in forested areas of Northern Ontario and Quebec.

The Locations of all Tornadoes from 2024 and their corresponding EF-Scale Ratings, Courtesy of the Northern Tornadoes Project.

Geographically, Ontario was the province which was home to the most tornadoes this past season, with 50 tornadoes on land and 10 over water, which makes up almost half of all recorded tornadoes for the year. Out of the 50 tornadoes on land, 14 of them spawned during outbreaks on two individual days: June 29th had six and July 28th had eight. Quebec was the second-most active province, with 21 total tornadoes (four of which occurred over water), followed by Saskatchewan with 19.

At Instant Weather, we are a proud partner of the Northern Tornadoes Project. We developed our custom radar suite, Instant Weather Pro, in conjunction with the organization and the many weather reports from you, our community, help them in their mission.

For the upcoming 2025 season, the Northern Tornadoes Project team sounds excited to continue their work alongside the Northern Hail Project and the newly-founded Northern Mesonet Project. You can learn more about them at the Northern Tornadoes Project homepage and for more information regarding the report, you can find it here.

Incoming Storm's Shift Expected to Keep Heaviest Snow Out of the Maritimes, Widespread 5-10cm By Friday Afternoon

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For the past several days, we’ve been tracking the development of a winter storm, with a considerable freezing rain component, set to impact the Maritimes later in the week.

Thankfully, the projected track of the storm has taken a southward shift, ahead of the storm’s development Wednesday afternoon. This will keep the heaviest precipitation from the storm, expected to fall mostly as snow, away from the Maritimes as it approaches the region on Thursday.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 3PM AT Thursday

The leading edge of the snow will arrive in Western Nova Scotia and Southwest New Brunswick in the mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly after 3pm. It will cross the region fairly quickly, reaching Prince Edward Island in the evening, around 7-8pm and Cape Breton Island by 9pm.

Some heavier snow is anticipated to move into Western Nova Scotia in the early evening and this area can expect to be on the top end of the 5-10cm range, with local amounts even exceeding 10cm.

While this snowfall is crossing the Maritimes, warm air will surge northward into Nova Scotia. This will bring temperatures above freezing and result in a transition from snow to rain in Western Nova Scotia around 9pm, with a brief period of freezing rain or ice pellets in between. The temperature will also rise along the Fundy Coast of New Brunswick, but whether or not the transition to rain occurs here is questionable.

Some weather models show more of this freezing precipitation falling than others, but regardless, it shouldn’t amount to much. Temperatures are expected to climb above freezing with the transition to rain, melting any ice buildup that might occur.

Model Image showing the location and intensity of snow (Blue), Rain (Green), Freezing rain (Pink), and Ice pellets (Orange) at 8PM AT Thursday. Note: this particular model does not cover the entire maritimes.

As the system pushes northeastward across the Maritimes, the snow-to-rain transition will also cross Nova Scotia. The rain won’t last long, though, as the precipitation will start to exit the region beginning around 9-11pm.

All precipitation is expended to be finished by around sunrise on Friday, after a widespread 5-10cm of snow falls across most of the region. Lesser amounts will be measurable in Nova Scotia following the increase in temperatures and the rain melting what had previously fallen.

Strong winds aren’t expected to be much of a concern with this system. The winds will pick up Thursday evening, leading to gusts of up to 70km/h across Nova Scotia, PEI and Southern New Brunswick overnight and into Friday morning. The western edge of the Cape Breton Highlands, however, could see gusts in excess of 100km/h for a few hours Friday morning before dying down ahead of sunrise.

Looking ahead, we have our eye on another storm that could impact the Maritimes on Sunday and we will have more details on that in the coming days.

Up to 20cm of Fresh Snow On Its Way For the Maritimes Wednesday and Thursday

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On the heels of some strong winds and a bit of snow Monday night and throughout the day Tuesday, it appears that snow and colder temperatures will close off the month of January for the Maritimes.

An incoming system will push into the region Wednesday morning, bringing snow to Western Nova Scotia and Southern New Brunswick shortly after sunrise. The snow will spread eastward through the morning and afternoon, reaching Cape Breton and PEI by the late afternoon.

This initial band of snow will be light to moderate, resulting in widespread amounts of roughly 5cm of snow across Nova Scotia and PEI as well as into Southern New Brunswick. Meanwhile, some scattered light snow is expected throughout the day across Central and Northern New Brunswick, which will also lead to up to 5cm of accumulation.

A second round of slightly heavier snowfall will move into Western Nova Scotia and Southern New Brunswick in the evening and make the commute home tricky, especially in the western half of the province. This snow will spread eastward through the remainder of the evening and overnight, leading to an additional 5-10cm of accumulation and up to 20cm overall.

The snow will taper off in the early morning hours, but there could be some flurries lingering throughout Thursday morning, especially in Eastern Nova Scotia and PEI. While not as windy as Monday night and Tuesday, wind gusts up to 50km/h are expected on Thursday which along with the cold air settling in, could drive windchill values closer to -25°C.

Blowing Snow Could Be a Concern Overnight and Into Tuesday Morning as Strong Winds Move Through the Maritimes

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Model Image showing the location of snow at 3AM Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

We are continuing to track the intense squall line that is making its way across parts of Ontario and Quebec. Luckily, the strongest winds and blasts of heavy snow will pass through New England, but the Maritimes won’t be completely spared.

We’re already beginning to see the winds ramp up in New Brunswick and PEI, ahead of the squall line. Wind gusts are expected in the 60-80km/h range across the two provinces for the remainder of the evening and into the early morning. The strong winds will make their way into the Western half of Nova Scotia at around 9pm and will spread across the province overnight and continue through the morning.

These strong winds are expected to whip up the snow that is already on the ground, leading to localized white-out conditions and drifting snow. This will make travel in some areas difficult so make sure to take extra caution out on the roads during these conditions.

The snow associated with the squall line will follow the strong winds, moving into Northern New Brunswick after midnight. It will spread southeastward across the region throughout the morning, reaching Prince County, PEI just after sunrise and the Annapolis Valley and Cumberland County, Nova Scotia shortly after. This snowfall will be moderate and only last for a couple of hours, leading to isolated pockets of 5-10cm across the region, but it won’t be too impactful.

Arctic Blast Across Canada With Potentially Coldest Air in Years; Dangerous Wind Chills Near -40°C Possible Next Week

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Get ready for a major Arctic chill as some of the coldest air in over a year is set to spread across much of Canada over the next week.

This icy blast will originate in the Arctic and surge into Central and Eastern Canada, causing temperatures to plummet to dangerously low levels. Wind chills could drop to between -30°C and -40°C—or even lower—in several regions by early next week.

This extensive polar plunge will impact much of Canada and even stretch into parts of the United States. Over the next five to seven days, nearly everyone will feel the chill in some capacity.

The Prairies will be the first to experience this frigid air as it arrives late Friday into Saturday. By early next week, the cold will spread eastward into Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada, blanketing nearly all of the country in sub-zero temperatures. The cold snap is expected to last for a few days, but relief will arrive with more seasonal air by mid to late next week.

SATURDAY

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In Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the cold will start to settle in Friday night and intensify into Saturday morning. Temperatures will plunge below -20°C and could approach -30°C in some areas, even before factoring in the wind chill.

The coldest conditions will hit northern areas like Fort McMurray and Thompson, where wind chills could make it feel like -40°C to -45°C.

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Most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, excluding Winnipeg, will see wind chills between -35°C and -40°C. Winnipeg and Edmonton will feel slightly less severe, with wind chills in the low to mid -30s, while Calgary will range from -25°C to -30°C.

Northern Ontario will also begin to feel the chill, with wind chills making it feel close to -30°C in places like Thunder Bay by Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, Southern Ontario will enjoy one last relatively mild day on Saturday, with temperatures near the freezing mark. However, the arrival of the Arctic air could bring a flash freeze late Saturday in Northeastern and Southern Ontario. Rapidly dropping temperatures may lead to icy road conditions, so caution is advised.

SUNDAY

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By Sunday morning, the cold air will deepen across the Prairies, bringing wind chills into the -40s for much of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. This includes locations like Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Saskatoon, Regina, and Thompson.

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Winnipeg and Calgary will be slightly less frigid, with wind chills closer to -30°C to -35°C, though colder temperatures are expected by Monday morning.

Ontario will also see temperatures drop sharply by Sunday morning. Northern Ontario will experience bitterly cold air, with actual temperatures between -20°C and -30°C and wind chills closer to -40°C in the northernmost areas.

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Southern Ontario will see temperatures ranging from -10°C to -20°C, with the coldest air in Central and Eastern Ontario. Wind chills in Northern sections of Southern Ontario could approach -30°C, while Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe will feel like -20°C to -25°C.

The arrival of Arctic air could also reignite lake-effect snow squalls early next week. Snowbelt regions around Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Georgian Bay could see heavy snowfall as a result. More details on this will be provided in a separate forecast.

STAYING SAFE IN THE EXTREME COLD

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Extreme cold can pose significant risks to safety and health, especially when wind chill intensifies the freezing temperatures. Even moderate wind speeds can dramatically lower the "feels like" temperature, increasing the risk of frostbite.

When wind chill drops below -27°C, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes or less. At extreme levels, such as -40°C or colder, frostbite can occur in as little as 5-10 minutes.

To protect yourself and your loved ones, limit time spent outdoors during these dangerous conditions. If you must go outside, dress in multiple layers of loose-fitting, insulated clothing.

Make sure to cover all exposed skin with hats, scarves, gloves, and insulated boots. A windproof outer layer is essential to reduce the effects of cold winds.

Pay attention to frostbite warning signs, including numbness, tingling, or a loss of colour in fingers, toes, nose, or ears. If you suspect frostbite, immediately move to a warm location and avoid rubbing the affected area, as this can worsen tissue damage.

Hypothermia is another serious concern; symptoms include shivering, confusion, and slurred speech. Seek medical attention if hypothermia or frostbite is suspected.

For those driving during extreme cold, always keep an emergency kit in your vehicle with essentials such as blankets, extra clothing, food, and water.

Ensure your phone is fully charged, and let someone know your travel plans. Avoid leaving pets outdoors for extended periods, as they are equally susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia.

MONDAY

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The worst of the cold will likely occur Monday morning, especially in the west, with Arctic air entrenched across much of Central and Eastern Canada. Temperatures near or below -30°C will stretch from Alberta to Western Quebec.

Wind chills could make it feel like -40°C or colder across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northern Ontario, and parts of Eastern Alberta and Western Quebec. Calgary and Edmonton will escape the worst, but wind chills will still hover around -35°C.

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In Southern Ontario, most areas will see temperatures near -20°C, with Central and Southwestern Ontario experiencing the coldest air. Wind chills will make it feel like -25°C to -35°C, a pattern also expected in Montreal and Quebec City.

Atlantic Canada will begin to feel the polar plunge by Monday morning. Wind chills will drop to around -25°C in Northern New Brunswick, while Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will remain slightly milder, with wind chills ranging from -5°C to -15°C.

TUESDAY

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By Tuesday morning, the coldest air will shift further east, bringing some relief to the Prairies. Alberta will see temperatures climb back into the single digits, with wind chills in the teens.

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Eastern Saskatchewan will remain colder, with wind chills near -25°C to -30°C, while western regions warm slightly. Manitoba will also improve, though wind chills will still range from -30°C to -35°C, particularly near the Ontario border.

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Tuesday is likely to be the coldest day for Ontario, as the Arctic air peaks over the province. Northern Ontario will see temperatures between -30°C and -40°C, with wind chills plunging well into the -40s.

Southern Ontario will experience temperatures from -20°C to -30°C, with wind chills making it feel like -35°C to -40°C in Central Ontario and the Ottawa Valley, and -30°C to -35°C elsewhere.

Montreal and Quebec City will endure similarly bitter conditions, with wind chills of -35°C or lower. Central and Western Quebec will feel even colder, with wind chills dropping below -40°C.

Atlantic Canada will also face its coldest morning on Tuesday. Wind chills will range from -35°C in Northern New Brunswick to the -20s in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

WEDNESDAY

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Wednesday morning will bring one final bitterly cold start for much of Eastern Canada, but signs of improvement will begin to appear.

Southwestern Ontario, including Windsor, Sarnia, and London, could see wind chills near -35°C or even -40°C. Northern Ontario will finally climb above -30°C wind chills for the first time in days, marking the beginning of a warming trend.

Quebec will remain very cold, with wind chills near -40°C in some areas, while Montreal and Quebec City will continue to see wind chills of -35°C.

Atlantic Canada will face another cold morning, with wind chills between -20°C and -35°C.

Most of Eastern Canada will see a reprieve from the extreme cold by Thursday morning. However, this may only be temporary, as long-range models suggest another Arctic surge could arrive late next week into the weekend. Stay tuned for updates.

Retrograding Storm Returns to the Maritimes, Bringing Up to an Additional 30cm of Snow

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It seems as though the storm from the weekend isn’t quite finished with the Maritimes. There have been scattered flurries across the region throughout the day Tuesday, but more organized bands of snow are on their way.

 

The snow will move into Northern New Brunswick from the north early Wednesday morning and spread southward into the region. By sunrise, the snow will reach Prince County, PEI and then Northern Nova Scotia by the early afternoon. This band of snow will last for up to 12 hours, but the snow will be light and come in bursts, resulting in up to 5cm of accumulation.

 

In the late afternoon and early evening, a second band of snow will push southward into Northern New Brunswick and following the same path as the first. This round will bring another 12 hours of steady snow across the region before starting to dissipate early Thursday morning. There will be pockets of heavier snow in this second wave, which will drive snowfall totals above 10cm in some parts of the Maritimes.

 

The snow will taper off throughout Thursday morning, but in the late morning to early afternoon, one final round of precipitation will move in. This third and final round will arrive after temperatures climb above freezing, resulting in mostly rain falling, but a bit of snow mixed in, across the Maritimes Thursday afternoon and into early Friday morning.

 

From these three rounds of precipitation, we’re looking at widespread snowfall totals of 5-20cm across the Maritimes. There will be areas where the snow will persist into late Thursday morning from the second round of snow, particularly the Annapolis Valley and at higher elevations in Northern New Brunswick. There will also be areas where more snow than rain will fall in the third round, namely the Northumerland Shore and the Cape Breton Highlands. The Highlands will see the most snow, up to 30cm, due to steady and often heavy snowfall over the duration of this event.

First Major Winter Storm of the Year is Taking Aim at Cape Breton Island With Over 50cm of Snow Possible

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The new year is starting off with a bang in parts of the Maritimes with the arrival of a major winter storm. While Newfoundland will feel the brunt of the storm, Eastern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island can expect a significant amount of snow and strong winds throughout the day Sunday and into Monday. The rest of the Maritimes, meanwhile, will experience little to no impacts from the storm.

The storm has been rapidly intensifying during its approach towards Atlantic Canada throughout the day Saturday, meeting the criteria of a bomb cyclone (a drop in internal pressure of at least 24mb in 24 hours).

The western edge of the storm will briefly skim along the far eastern coast of Cape Breton Island early Sunday morning as the storm surges north towards Newfoundland, bringing snow and wind gusts of 70-90km/h. The storm will continue to grow in size as it gains latitude, which will push the snowfall and intense winds deeper into Cape Breton as the morning progresses.

By the mid-morning, the storm is expected to shift and start moving along a more northwesterly track, which will bring the snow and strong winds into Eastern Mainland Nova Scotia, across Prince Edward Island, and briefly to the eastern tip of the Acadian Peninsula. Blowing snow will greatly reduce visibility across the area throughout the day and could even lead to blizzard conditions.

The storm will gradually lose momentum later in the afternoon before completely stalling for several hours in the late evening and overnight. This will result in the impacted areas of PEI and Nova Scotia seeing snow quickly accumulate and the strong winds continuing while also limiting how far westward into the rest of the Maritimes that the snow spreads.

Model run showing Snow (Blue) and Rain (green) at 11pM on Sunday, January 5th

At around sunrise on Monday morning, the storm will start to fall apart, with the snow tapering off and the winds dying down across PEI and Mainland Nova Scotia throughout the morning. By the early afternoon, the only snow falling will be in the Cape Breton Highlands, where it will continue until the late evening.

The Cape Breton Highlands will be the hardest hit area and heavy snow is expected to fall for 24 hours at up to 5cm/hr, leading to over 50cm of accumulation here. This area will also see the strongest wind gusts from the storm, up to 100km/h, making travel very treacherous and possibly resulting in power outages.

One Last Pre-Holiday Blast of Winter Could Make Travel Difficult in the Maritimes with up to 30cm of Snow

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There’s more snow on the way for the Maritimes following the storm over the weekend. The next system that will hit tomorrow, Christmas Eve, and continue into Christmas morning, will once again negatively impact the holiday travel plans for many across the region.

New Brunswick

The snow will start to push into Western New Brunswick around midnight tonight and spread eastward across the province before sunrise tomorrow. By that point, the snow will already have tapered of in the Northwest, leading to less than 5cm of accumulation in this area. As we progress through the morning, the snow will start to gradually diminish across western parts of Northern and Central New Brunswick as the system tracks southeastward.

Meanwhile, a bit of intensification is expected, leading to much of the province receiving over 10cm of snow by the end of the day. Pockets of particularly heavy snow are likely through the afternoon along the Fundy Coast, with the snow falling at up to 5cm/hr. This is expected to bring snowfall totals to over 20cm for this area, including Saint John, and over 30cm locally in areas of higher elevation.

The system will continue tracking southeastward across the province throughout the afternoon and early evening, at which time the entire system starts to fall apart. This will lead to scattered flurries lingering overnight and the early morning in Southeast New Brunswick.

Prince Edward Island

The snow will start in PEI a couple of hours before sunrise in Prince County, spreading across the rest of the Island throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. By the time the snow reaches the eastern edge of Kings County in the mid to late afternoon, this area will see snowfall for only a few hours before the system starts to break down. As a result, this area can expect less than 5cm of snow while the rest of the Island will receive upwards of 10cm.

There could be some lingering flurries for PEI overnight and into Christmas morning, but these will only add on another centimetre or two to the final snowfall totals.

Model run showing Snow (Blue) and Rain (green) at 4pM on Tuesday December 24th

Nova Scotia

The snow will make its way into both Northern and Western Nova Scotia from the northwest starting in the early morning before sunrise. It will push deeper across the province through the morning and early afternoon, but it is not expected to cross very far into Cape Breton, if at all. Isolated flurries can’t be completely ruled out here so our forecast is for up to 2cm of snow for this area.

The temperatures will rise throughout the day with the arrival of the storm and will climb above freezing in parts of Western Nova Scotia. Those living inland will see temperatures of 1°C, resulting in the buildup of heavier, wet snow. On the other hand, coastal communities in Yarmouth, Shelburne, and Queens Counties are expected to get up to 3°C and the snow will transition to rain, limiting overall snowfall totals to 5-10cm.

In the evening, the system will fall apart, leading to pockets of precipitation occurring across the Mainland for a few hours. Later into the evening and overnight, the snow is expected to persist over Western Nova Scotia and with temperatures remaining a degree or two above freezing, the snow that falls will be very wet and mixed with some rain. This will bring snowfall totals closer to 20cm and locally higher for parts of the Annapolis Valley.

This system is unfortunately very ill-timed and will really impact the plans that many people have to travel and visit family over the next couple of days. Thankfully, most of the snow will be finished by Christmas morning so day-of holiday travel shouldn’t be too tough.

Wind gusts should top out at about 50km/h on Tuesday, with the strongest gusts expected in Southern New Brunswick and Western Nova Scotia so visibility could be limited at times with brief whiteouts, but we won’t be at risk for full blizzard-like conditions.

Since the chances for a White Christmas across the Maritimes seem fairly obvious at this point, with Guysborough County and Southern Cape Breton just hitting the 2cm threshold along with the arrival of even more snow on Christmas Eve, we will not be updating our preliminary White Christmas Forecast. Enjoy your White Christmas everyone!

A Rare Region-Wide White Christmas Appears to be in Store for the Entire Maritimes This Year

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White Christmases are not a common occurrence for the Maritimes, especially for the entire region, since the late fall is typically mild and rainy. They are so rare in some parts of the region that it has been over a decade since one was last experienced. This year has been fairly average up until very recently and with Christmas now only 3 days away, the odds of a White Christmas across the Maritimes is becoming quite clear.

According to Environment Canada, in order for an area to have a White Christmas, there needs to be at least 2cm of snow on the ground as of 7am on Christmas Day. After Saturdays’s Nor’easter, the snowpack across most of the region is at least 5cm deep. The exception to this is in Guysborough County and into Southern Cape Breton Island, where rain and positive temperatures ended up melting some of the snow that had already fallen from the storm. At this point, it looks like this area just barely reaches the 2cm threshold for a White Christmas.

Looking ahead to the next few days, temperatures reaching only a degree or two above freezing in some areas and the arrival of more snow on Christmas Eve will help solidify the chances for a White Christmas across the Maritimes.

Modelled Snow depths, in centimetres, as of Sunday, December 22nd at 8am aT.

New Brunswick

Temperatures across most of the province are expected to remain below freezing between now and Christmas morning so the snow that is already on the ground is here to stay. A system moving in early Tuesday morning will bring snow to the entire province throughout the day. The heaviest snow is expected to fall in Southern New Brunswick and up to 20cm may accumulate. Although temperatures along the Fundy Coast may creep into the single digits on Tuesday with the arrival of this system, it won’t be enough to melt all of the existing and incoming snow. As a result, all of New Brunswick can expect a White Christmas.

Prince Edward Island

Similar to New Brunswick, temperatures across PEI are expected to remain below 0°C until after Christmas morning. Snow will reach the province before sunrise on Christmas Eve and continue into the evening, adding to the existing snowpack and guaranteeing a White Christmas for the entire Island.

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Nova Scotia

The chances for a White Christmas vary slightly across Nova Scotia. Given the shallow depth of the snowpack in parts of Eastern Nova Scotia, chances are high, but not a guarantee and just a little bit of melting could spoil things. Luckily as of now, it appears that any melting might not happen in this area until the afternoon on Christmas Day when temperature rise above the freezing mark.

Snow is expected to move into Western Nova Scotia early Tuesday morning and will cross the province through the remainder of them morning. Although it is expected to be light and fairly brief, the additional snow will be welcome news for those in Eastern Nova Scotia who are hoping for that traditional White Christmas. This extra snowfall keeps the odds of a White Christmas high in the areas of shallow snowpack, barring any major melting that might occur a little ahead of schedule.

The snow will be heavy at times across parts of Western Nova Scotia, leading to over 10cm of accumulation. Temperatures in this area are anticipated to climb into the single digits, particularly along the shorelines, so it’s possible that there will be a transition over to rain, but this isn’t expected to be enough to ruin the chances of a White Christmas. Some weather models are even suggesting that the snow could continue to fall in Western Nova Scotia into Christmas morning, leading to what some consider to be a “true” White Christmas!

Please keep in mind that this is just a preliminary forecast, along with the first look at the incoming snowfall, and this is based on current data. The full forecast for the incoming snow will be posted Monday afternoon/evening and the final White Christmas forecast is coming Christmas Eve morning. Make sure to stay tuned!

Nor'easter With Intense Snow Will Hinder Pre-Holiday Travel and Almost Promise a White Christmas in the Maritimes

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It is going to start to look like Christmas across the Maritimes this weekend. The Nor’easter mentioned in yesterday’s preliminary forecast is making its way towards the Maritimes and will reach our shores this evening. While the low pressure center will pass south of Nova Scotia, the storm will bring 20-30cm of snow across some or all of the three Maritimes provinces.

Nova Scotia

Light snow will begin in Western Nova Scotia this evening, around 7-9pm, and spread eastward across the province throughout the remainder of the evening and overnight. The snowfall will quickly intensify, falling at close to 5cm/hr in some areas and continuing for several hours. This period of intense snow will result in widespread snowfall accumulations 20-30cm and possibly even higher locally before sunrise for most of mainland Nova Scotia.

In Guysborough County and into southern parts of Cape Breton Island, the snow will transition to ice pellets for a couple of hours, starting at around 3am as some of the warmer air from the storm pushes northward. This will limit snowfall totals in the area to 10-20cm.

Model run showing Snow (Blue), Rain (green), and Ice Pellets (Orange) at 4AM

The eastern half of the province will see a break in the precipitation before dawn, but the heavy snow will taper to light snow in the west which will continue through the morning. By noon, that snow will start to push eastward, possibly with a bit of light rain preceding it. The snow will start to taper off in Western Nova Scotia in the mid-afternoon and should end for most of the province by the evening. Some stray flurries will linger overnight and into Sunday morning, by they will provide very little additional accumulation.

New Brunswick

The entirety of New Brunswick can expect snow from this Nor’easter, but given its offshore track, the heaviest snow will be in the southeast and totals will decrease going northwest.

The snow will reach the Fundy Coast around midnight tonight and spread northward during the early morning hours. Southeastern New Brunswick can expect some heavy snow for a couple of hours that will quickly drive up accumulations. The snow will begin to taper off after sunrise, starting in the northwest and gradually through to the southeast by Saturday evening. This will bring snowfall totals in the southeast corner of the province above 20cm by the end of the day.

Prince Edward Island

The leading edge of the Nor’easter will cross into PEI shortly after midnight tonight. The snow will be continuous and last straight through to late Saturday evening. The snow will be heavy at times across the Island, falling at up to 2cm/hr and while not as heavy as expected in Nova Scotia, this will be enough to result in over 20cm of snow for the entire province.

Given that this is one of the busiest weekends of the year for travel, this storm will likely result in many headaches across the Maritimes. Heavy snow is already a pain to drive in, but widespread wind gusts up to 60km/h, and locally as high as 80km/h, will lead to blowing snow throughout the day Saturday. Not only will the roads be treacherous, but airports will likely have a handful of delays and cancellations due to the storm. Please give yourselves plenty of extra time if going out on Saturday and if possible, consider postponing any travel until Sunday.

For those who look at this storm as the chance for a White Christmas in over a decade in some places, there’s good news! Temperatures are not expected to climb above freezing until later next week so the snow will stick around.

Dreaming of a White Christmas? Incoming Storm Will Almost Guarantee One for the Maritimes!

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It hasn’t really looked like the holiday season across the Maritimes lately, with grass still visible throughout the region. There’s been very little snowfall in Nova Scotia and PEI and the existing snowpack in New Brunswick melted just last week. A skiff of snow fell across New Brunswick overnight and this morning, but that’s the extent of the snow on the ground for pretty much the entire region. For those in the Christmas spirit though, that’s all about to change.

Starting Friday evening, a Nor’easter will move into the region that is expected to bring considerable heavy snow across most of Nova Scotia and into PEI and Southeastern New Brunswick. Weather models are currently projecting widespread snowfall accumulations of 20-30cm for that particular area and lower totals for the remainder of New Brunswick by Saturday evening.

The amount of snow expected in Guysborough County and much of Cape Breton Island is lower because some mixed precipitation is expected. Where, and how much of, this mixed precipitation falls will be entirely dependent on the track of the storm and there is still a bit of remaining uncertainty in that regard.

While some may be celebrating the likelihood of a White Christmas, the snow will certainly have negative impacts on early holiday travel this weekend. Not only will the heavy snow be a chore to drive in, widespread wind gusts up to 60km/h, and locally as high as 80km/h, will create even more hazardous conditions due to blowing snow. On top of that, there is the possibility of some isolated power outages with the strong winds.

This is only our preliminary look at the storm so check back tomorrow for a more in-depth forecast once the track of the storm becomes a bit clearer.

Rapidly Strengthening Bomb Cyclone Expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Wicked Winds to the Maritimes

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Hang on to your umbrellas! We have an incoming bomb cyclone that is set to not only drench the Maritimes, but bring some intense winds to the region as well. A bomb cyclone is a storm that undergoes rapid intensification, called bombogenesis, that results in a drop in central pressure of at least 24mb over a 24 hour period. A system has begun travelling northward along the American Atlantic Coast and the further north it travels, the stronger it is expected to become under this rapid intensification.

The storm will bring precipitation to the Maritimes in two rounds. It will start off with warm, moisture-laden air being funnelled up from the Gulf along the warm front, leading to temperatures climbing into the double digits. Following a break in the precipitation from the first round, the length of which will be dependent on the distance from the centre of the storm, a second round of rain will move in along the cold front. Behind this cold front, temperatures are expected plummet and will fall below 0°C across New Brunswick, leading to the risk of a flash freeze. Combined, these two rounds of rain will bring a widespread 10-50mm of rain across most of the Maritimes.

New Brunswick

Things in New Brunswick will certainly get messy over the coming days due to this incoming storm. The first wave of precipitation will move into Western New Brunswick around sunrise Wednesday morning. The temperatures will rise with the arrival of the warm front and rain, but there will still be some isolated pockets of cold air near the surface that could persist for several hours, leading to freezing rain. Luckily any ice accretion will quickly melt as temperatures rise.

The rain will continue throughout most of the day and it will start to taper off, from south to north beginning in the evening. Due to its proximity to the centre of the storm, there won’t be a break between to the rounds of precipitation in Northwest New Brunswick. As a result, this is where the highest rainfall amounts of close to 50mm are expected. The rest of the province will start to see this second wave move in from the west overnight. It will lose intensity as it pushes eastward and the heaviest rain will fall over the western half of the province, where 25-50mm of rain is expected overall with the storm and only 10-25mm to the east. This second round won’t last long and will exit the province by the late morning.

There will be a unique problem in New Brunswick that the rest of the Maritimes won’t have to worry about. Some parts of the province have a considerable snowpack over 30cm which will end up melting with temperatures rising into the double digits through the day Wednesday. However, when combined with the amount of incoming precipitation and the ground likely remaining at least partially frozen, standing water and flooding becomes a concern. To make matters worse, the temperatures will drop drastically across most of the province overnight Thursday, to well below the freezing mark, which could lead to a widespread flash freeze.

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Nova Scotia

The scenario across Nova Scotia with this storm will be a little less complicated, in regards to precipitation. The first wave of rain will make its way into Western Nova Scotia in the mid to late morning Wednesday. The rain will be heavy at times across the western half of the Mainland and it will then dissipate across the province through the evening. The second round of rain will then arrive early Thursday morning and is only expected to last 4 hours or so as it crosses the province, before the storm finally makes its way out of the region in the evening. Most of Mainland Nova Scotia and along the South Coast of Cape Breton Island can expect 10-25mm of rain while the rest of the province will see 5-10mm

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island, much like Nova Scotia, has a fairly straightforward forecast with this storm. The first wave of rain will impact the Island starting early Wednesday afternoon and continuing into the evening. Then, the second wave will move in after sunrise on Thursday and cross the Island in the span of 3-4 hours. Rainfall amounts of 10-25mm are likely in Prince and the western half of Queens County and 5-10mm in Kings County and the eastern half of Queens County.

Strong winds will also be a factor with the incoming bomb cyclone. In this model image showing 1:00 AM Thursday, we can get a good look at both the size and structure of the storm, along with the precipitation types and their intensities. What we also see is the projected internal pressure of the storm, in millibars, as well as the lines of equal pressure, in black, known as isobars. Winds are driven by air moving from areas of high pressure to those of low pressure and when isobars are really close in strong storms, as seen in this case, we know that the winds will be quite strong.

The strong winds will start making their way into the Maritimes Wednesday evening and they will peak overnight. The entire region will get hit by sustained winds above 40km/h and gusts over 70km/h, but Western Nova Scotia and Southwest New Brunswick in particular will be hammered by gusts in excess of 100km/h. These will be onshore winds so pounding surf and some coastal flooding are very likely along the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia and along the Fundy Coast to the west of St. John starting late Wednesday and continuing through Thursday morning.

The Second Storm of the Week Should Finally Bring Nova Scotia's First Decent Snowfall of the Season

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For the second time in a week, more snow is on the way for the Maritimes, with another short-lived Alberta Clipper moving in to finish the weekend. Nova Scotians can once again expect rain with this system, but that won’t happen until after some snow accumulates, making this the first decent amount of snow across most of the province this season.

New Brunswick

The snow from the Clipper will arrive along the International border before sunrise Sunday morning and cross the province throughout the morning hours. The snow will be light to moderate, leading to a widespread 5-10cm across New Brunswick. Some light rain may mix with the snow along the Fundy Coast so snowfall totals could be limited here. Heavier snow is likely around Miramichi and into the Acadian Peninsula in the early afternoon, with snowfall rates reaching 2cm/hr and resulting in accumulations above 10cm in this area. By the early afternoon, the snow will start to taper off from west to east and ending in the evening.

Nova Scotia

The leading edge of the Clipper will push into Western Nova Scotia at around sunrise on Sunday. The western portions of the Annapolis Valley and South Shore will see this snow switch over to rain after only an hour or two, but as the system pushes further into the province through the morning, the snow will persist longer.

As we progress into the afternoon, the temperatures will rise to above freezing in mainland Nova Scotia, starting along the coasts and moving inland, causing the snow to transition to rain after only a few hours. As a result, snowfall totals will be higher, just above 5cm, in inland portions of the mainland and lesser along coastal areas. This snowfall won’t last and will quickly start to melt with the warmer temperatures and rain following it. The transition from rain to snow won’t occur until the evening in Cape Breton and the impacts of this will be limited overall. As usual, the higher elevations of the Highlands will remain cool, preventing a switch over to rain and resulting in snowfall accumulations above 10cm.

The system will start to make its way out of Nova Scotia starting in the late afternoon, with precipitation ending from west to east until finally exiting the province after midnight early Monday morning.

Prince Edward Island

The snow will reach Prince Edward Island around the lunch hour on Sunday and is expected to last throughout the afternoon before tapering off in the early evening. The snow is expected to be light, resulting in an almost province-wide 5-10cm of fresh accumulation with the exception of eastern King’s County, where temperatures will climb above 0° briefly in the evening and there will be a switch over to rain as the system finishes crossing the Island.

Mix of Wet and Wintry Weather on the Way for the Maritimes, Bringing More than 20cm of Snow to Parts of New Brunswick

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More snow is on its way for New Brunswick and in a similar fashion to last week’s storm, Nova Scotia can once again expect mostly rain with the possibility of a bit of snow mixed in. The incoming system will be a mix of an Alberta clipper coming through Ontario and a secondary low from New England, and it will be another short blast of winter for the region, with the entire event spanning 24 hours.

Things will start off around midnight tonight as snow from the Clipper pushes its way into New Brunswick. As the snow spreads eastward across the province through the early morning hours, the low from the States will merge with the Clipper, which will funnel even more moisture northward from the Gulf. This secondary source of precipitation will reach Western Nova Scotia in the pre-dawn hours. The merging of these two systems will result in some intensification starting later in the morning, leading to heavier snow and rain across the region.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia will once again find itself in the warm sector of this storm, leading to precipitation falling mostly as rain for the duration of this event. However, there is a chance for some snow showers since temperatures will be hovering just above the freezing mark in some areas along the leading edge of the storm. Unfortunately for snow lovers, no real snow accumulation is expected from this storm, with temperatures climbing throughout the day and resulting in any snow transitioning to rain. The exception to this is, once again, in the higher elevations of Cape Breton where temperatures will remain below 0°C until Thursday evening, leading to 5-10cm of snow. Widespread rainfall totals across the rest of the province are expected to be in the 20-40mm range.

New Brunswick

On the other hand, New Brunswick can expect to need the shovels at some point on Thursday. The snow from the Clipper will push its way across the province throughout the early morning, but as the rain reaches Nova Scotia, it will also push into the Fundy Coast area, limiting snowfall accumulation along this stretch. Once the two systems merge and the storm intensifies, snowfall rates could approach 3cm per hour in the afternoon across Central and Northern New Brunswick, leading to widespread snow accumulations above 10cm. In the early and mid-afternoon, warm air will wrap around the backside of the storm, resulting in a transition from snow to rain that will push northeastward into the evening. Temperatures will fall overnight, but the warm air, along with the rain, will result in the melting of some of the fresh snow across most of the province.

Prince Edward Island

The leading edge of the precipitation will reach Prince Edward Island around noon on Thursday, with some light snow that will last for several hours. This will bring up to 5cm of snow across the Island before the warm air moves in and the snow switches over to rain. Similar to New Brunswick, the warm air and rain will melt most, if not all, of the freshly fallen snow across the province throughout the evening.

The storm will start to dissipate in the early afternoon, with the arrival of the warm air in New Brunswick and it will fully exit the region shortly midnight and into Friday morning. There could still be some lingering flurries or pockets of light rain throughout early Friday morning.