'Classic' Nor'easter to bring up to 25 centimetres of snow to Atlantic Canada

Monday, January 20, 2014, 9:01 PM -

STORM WATCH: Tune into The Weather Network on TV for continued updates on this system.

On Monday, light snow and gusty winds hit Atlantic Canada. The cold front is just the beginning of what's shaping up to be a wintry week for eastern Canada.

Forecasters are keeping their eye on a  Nor'easter that's expected to impact Atlantic Canada Wednesday.

"This will likely be a winter storm with significant snowfall, accumulating along with blowing snow being a large issue," warns Weather Network meteorologist Monica Vaswani.

Snow will move into the Maritimes early Wednesday morning and continue through the night, reaching as far west as western New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia.

"There is a slight chance of mixing along the Atlantic shorelines of Nova Scotia," says Weather Network meteorologist Dayna Vettese.

"Gusts between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour are expected across the Maritimes, except for north-facing shores. In those areas, gusts could reach as high as 100 km/h."

By the time all is said and done, 15-25 cm of snow is expected in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick.

STRONG WIND, FREEZING RAIN POTENTIAL FOR NEWFOUNDLAND

The storm will hit Newfoundland mid-day Wednesday and continue through to Thursday afternoon.

SEE ALSO: Thousands in the dark after heavy snow blasts Nova Scotia

"There will be a risk of freezing rain for the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas, with a changeover to rain late day Wednesday," Vettese says.

Wind gusts as high as 110 km/h are possible Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Up to 10 cm of snow is expected to accumulate in the Avalon Peninsula. The rest of Newfoundland could see up to 25 cm, with locally higher amounts possible.

NEXT PAGE: WHAT MAKES THIS A 'CLASSIC' NOR'EASTER?