East Coast on notice as wicked winter storm ready to impact
Another winter storm making its way across Eastern Canada will bring similar conditions to the East Coast Thursday, making for treacherous travel in many locales amid heavy snowfall, rain and ice, as well as blustery winds
What we're seeing in Ontario and Quebec will start to find its way into Atlantic Canada Thursday, with road conditions worsening as the wintry precipitation and blustery winds ramp up.
The storm is also expected to bring a wintry cocktail of rain and ice, in addition to the heavy snow. Motorists will need to brace for slowdowns and delays on the roads. As much as 30 cm of snow is forecast in some of the harder-hit areas of New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
DON'T MISS: Simple steps you can take to prepare for a winter storm
Folks can also expect strong wind gusts, which could possibly approach 100 km/h over some exposed, coastal areas.
As always, be sure to keep up-to-date on your local weather alerts, and always check the highway conditions before heading out.
Snow and ice threat spans the Maritimes Thursday
Snow will begin to spread across the Maritime provinces through the day on Thursday. With milder air surging north, expect the snow in Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and southern New Brunswick to transition to an icy mix of freezing rain and ice pellets through the afternoon and early evening.
Nova Scotia is forecast to also see a transition to rain showers Thursday evening and through the overnight, as temperatures climb into the mid-single digits through Thursday night.
These high temperatures will actually peak through the overnight and into the pre-dawn hours of Friday.
Across central and northern New Brunswick, the heavier snow is likely.
"Travel could become difficult. Motorists should be prepared for winter driving conditions," warns Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in a special weather statement for Moncton, N.B. Snowfall warnings have been issued for northern sections, as well.
Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm an hour may occur over some locations at times, which will have an impact on travel.
RELATED: How do schools decide if it will be a snow day?
In areas that see the icier conditions, localized power outages, tree damage and traffic delays are also possible.
Heavy snow wallops western Newfoundland
Snow will advance into Newfoundland Thursday evening, and continue to spread towards St. John’s and the Avalon through Friday morning.
The Avalon will also likely experience a transition to some freezing rain, ice pellets and wet mixing.
RELATED: Freezing rain and ice pellets are dangerous winter hazards
In all, between 15-30 cm of snow is forecast for central and northern New Brunswick, with much lesser amounts of 2-10 cm forecast for much of Nova Scotia. The exception will be Cape Breton Island, where 20-30 cm could fall. P.E.I. could see anywhere from 5-20 cm falling there.
Between 10-15 cm of snow is forecast across the Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, with 20-30 cm of snow forecast for central to western parts of the island.
WATCH: How to measure snow like the pros do
Strong winds could result in power outages Friday
In addition to the snow and ice, wind gusts will increase along coastal areas Thursday night, remaining strong through Friday, and peaking Friday night.
Widespread gusts of 50-70 km/h are forecast, with coastal regions seeing gusts approach 100 km/h at times.
Strong winds ramping up behind the low could also contribute to some power outages.
February will be remembered as a stormy month with still more to come
Another significant and messy storm is expected during the weekend, as a low is forecast to rapidly intensify as it tracks through. The exact track and impacts are still uncertain, however, but widespread windy conditions are expected along with a period of snow changing to ice pellets and freezing rain, once again.
Very cold weather is expected to return as the storm heads out to sea, and an active pattern is likely to continue into late February.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across Atlantic Canada.