East Coast storm brings sharp contrast between heavy snow, torrential rains

Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Digital Writers

This potent weekend system will be in full swing in the Maritimes Sunday, with a sharp divide between heavy snow in northern New Brunswick and torrential rains elsewhere.

Atlantic Canada is in the midst of an impactful storm Sunday, though its heaviest effects will begin to wind down in the Maritimes in the afternoon and evening hours. Before then, heavy snow will continue to fall in New Brunswick, with northern areas expected to get a hefty amount of it by the time the system departs. Travel is expected to be hazardous in the region. Winds are also fairly strong, with 70-90 km/h gusts in parts of Nova Scotia but will die down in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the heavy rain has pushed into Newfoundland and will persist into Monday. For a more detailed breakdown on what's to come, plus a look at another system coming in next week, see below.


WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Rain and snow ease Sunday for the Maritimes by the afternoon, though snow lasts into the evening

  • The heaviest rains in the Maritimes ends Sunday morning, ramping up in Newfoundland

  • Potential for another storm next week, but uncertainty with its track


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SUNDAY: HEAVY RAIN, SNOW TO EASE OFF IN MARITIMES, LOVE MOVES INTO NEWFOUNDLAND

The heaviest rain has come to an end for the Maritimes and is now on its way to western Newfoundland Sunday morning. The centre of the low is still hovering over New Brunswick, so rain and snow will linger in the Maritimes.

ATLSunAM

Across the Gulf, heavy rain has started in western Newfoundland and will spread through the island by the afternoon.

For the Fredericton and Bathurst regions in New Brunswick, rain changed over to snow in the morning, except for easternmost areas of the Bathurst region where it may remain as rain until this afternoon. The snow will begin easing in the province in the afternoon, tapering to flurries in the evening, while showers will depart the Maritimes.

As for accumulations, northern New Brunswick will feel the brunt of the heaviest amounts, with some 20-40 cm accumulating through Monday. Much less as you head south, with less than 5 cm forecast for Fredericton. Across the Gulf, only Newfoundland's northern tip will see any snowfall, as most of it will be in Labrador, but 5-10 cm is still expected.

ATLSnow

Accumulative rainfall totals will hit 20-40 mm for a large part of the Maritimes, but 40-60 mm could add up in southwestern New Brunswick, an area that already saw some damaging flooding earlier in the week. The dividing line between snow and rain will be sharp, running through the middle of the province, such that parts of the north will experience this storm as an all-snow event.

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Western Newfoundland is also likely to see 30-50 mm of rain, with the Avalon Peninsula only seeing 5-15 mm. Rain will begin to ease Monday morning.

ATLRain

Winds will be somewhat still Sunday for southwestern Nova Scotia, with 70-90 km/h gusts expected, declining slightly in southern New Brunswick by then. They will begin to wind down through the afternoon.

They'll be ramping up in the afternoon in Newfoundland, possibly hitting the 60-70 km/h range, but will begin to relax in the evening.

LOOK AHEAD: ANOTHER SYSTEM FOLLOWS HOT ON THE HEELS OF THE WEEKEND STORM, BUT UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK

There will be little breathing room in between storms impacting the region, with another system expected to move in Tuesday night into Wednesday.

While there is uncertainty in track, but the forecast is for an eastern track, bringing more of a wintry system to eastern Newfoundland and only have minimal impacts on the eastern Maritimes.

ATLTempWed

This system is then expected to track near the Avalon on Wednesday, with rain, or a mix of wet snow and rain, expected for the Avalon, but heavy snow likely for areas northwest of the Avalon.

Check back as we continue to monitor these incoming storms.