Nor'easter to bring snow, rain and wind to the Maritimes

An incoming nor’easter is set to deliver a round of high winds, heavy rainfall and — for some in the Maritimes — a significant amount of snow, with the great impacts expected Tuesday evening through to Wednesday afternoon.

While some uncertainty remains about the track of the system, folks should prepare for potential power outages and travel issues, including ferry and bridge delays or closures as wind gusts reach 70 to 90 kilometres an hour. 

Adding to the risk of power outages is the heavy wet snow that is most likely to fall across inland and higher-terrain areas of Nova Scotia, especially in the north of the province, as well as P.E.I. and southern New Brunswick. Snowfall totals here are looking to range between 15 and 30 centimetres, with some heavier pockets possible in places like the Cobequid Pass and Mount Thom. 

The toughest forecast is from the Annapolis Valley across to Truro and eastern P.E.I. A temperature difference of a degree or two will make or break the snowfall forecast through this area. In the end, I’m expecting to see some large variations in the amount of snowfall we see through this region, with elevation and proximity to the coast being big factors.

Closer to the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia, this is looking largely like a rain event, although we’ll likely see some snow mixing in on Tuesday evening and again on Wednesday morning. Again, the line between mostly rain and where we see accumulating snow will likely be a variable one depending on both elevation and proximity to the coast.

Coastal areas along the Bay of Fundy and areas near the Northumberland Strait are also likely set to see some rain mixing in overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday.

Environment Canada has issued a yellow rainfall warning starting Tuesday afternoon for Shelburne and Yarmouth counties, and a yellow snowfall warning for the following counties:

Under Environment Canada's new weather warning system, which rolled out last week, yellow alerts are the lowest level of watches and warnings. This is the type of weather that will bring hazardous or dangerous conditions, affecting travel and causing delays or cancellations.

The leading edge of the storm will start to roll in on Tuesday afternoon and evening with light snow for most of the region. The exception will be the Atlantic coastline where it appears the precipitation will begin as rain with some wet snow mixing in. Either way, the Tuesday evening drive home could be a slick one for many.

As the centre of the storm moves into the province Tuesday night, so too will the heaviest snowfall rates. Along the Atlantic coastline we’ll see a mix right over to rain and for other coastal areas we’ll see a mix with rain as well.

As we move into Wednesday morning, that steady snow and rain will continue with a snowy, slick and messy commute on the way for many in the Maritimes. Areas along the Atlantic coastline look set to mix back with and even over to snow as colder air wraps into the storm in those strong northeast winds.

As the meat and potatoes of the storm moves on Tuesday night, the winds will ramp up with widespread gusts in the range of 70 to 80 km/h for Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and southeastern New Brunswick. Some coastal gusts are likely to reach 90 km/h, especially for eastern P.E.I. and Cape Breton. The winds will ease from west to east through Wednesday afternoon and evening.

MORE TOP STORIES