'Messy weather' heading for P.E.I.

Prince Edward Islanders should enjoy the spring-like weather Tuesday, because it isn't going to last.

"We do have some messy weather heading in our direction," said CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin.

"We've got a couple of rounds. The first round comes in as rain."

That rain will follow a mix of sun and cloud Tuesday with temperatures climbing as high as 7 C. Clouds will increase in the afternoon, developing into a small chance of showers in the evening.

More serious rain will come before dawn Wednesday. Overnight and through the morning there could be as much as 20 millimetres.

Respite from the precipitation will be brief. Thursday will be messier still.

"The temperature's going to drop below freezing and then above and then below freezing and that's going to cause some problems with the precipitation," said Simpkin.

Thursday's weather will be the result of two systems, with moisture coming up from the south combining with an incoming cold front. How those two systems mix will determine how much snow and how much rain the Island will see.

"Timing is going to be everything," said Simpkin.

"I think it's going to start off as rain for P.E.I. and then I do think it's going to make that transition pretty quickly early Thursday morning into ice pellets, possibly some freezing rain, and then over to snow Thursday afternoon."

It is still too early to predict just how much snow there will be, but Simpkin believes it will be five to 15 centimetres, depending on how late in the morning the transition to snow is.