More than 30 cm of spring snow expected for parts of the Maritimes this weekend

CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell shares the latest information on spring snow expected for parts of the Maritimes this weekend.

I’d call it the Maritimes’ own version of Sheila’s Brush.

Sheila’s Brush is Newfoundland weather folklore that expects a storm to follow shortly after St. Patrick’s Day, with the storm “brushing out” the last of winter. Given the stormy weather lined up for the weekend in the Maritimes, I think this one could qualify.

A chance of flurries Saturday morning will be followed by snow developing through the afternoon. Snow will then be heavy for northern and central areas of New Brunswick by the evening. Snow changing through to ice pellets and freezing rain to rain is expected Saturday evening and night for southern New Brunswick. The mix of weather will be clearing the province, west-to-east, through Sunday morning.

The most snow is expected in the area from near Woodstock north to Grand Falls and then northeast towards communities like Bathurst and Miramichi. This will be a very heavy spring snow with potential amounts of 30 to 45 cm. The very northwestern corner of the province, the area from Edmundston to Campbellton-Dalhousie, could finish a bit lower with 10 to 20 cm of snow. Fredericton could see 15 cm or more of accumulation in a heavy mix of snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain. Rain totals in southern New Brunswick could be as much as 20 to 60 mm.

Expect snow-covered roads and winter driving conditions to develop across much of central and northern New Brunswick Saturday afternoon through Saturday night.

Southerly gusts in southern New Brunswick could peak as high as 50 to 70 km/h Saturday night. A northwest wind with gusts of 20 to 50 km/h is expected for Sunday.