Major delays, cancellations likely as heavy snow hits East Coast
Widespread warnings are in effect across Nova Scotia and parts of Newfoundland ahead of heavy, wind-blown snow arriving Monday
A thump of heavy snow and gusty winds will sweep through portions of Atlantic Canada on Monday as a low-pressure system moves just south of the region.
Snowfall warnings blanket Nova Scotia and winter storm warnings are in place for southeastern Newfoundland ahead of this disruptive Monday snowfall.
Expect travel delays and cancellations in Nova Scotia, including the Halifax area, through Monday morning, with conditions deteriorating into the evening hours for St. John’s as snow pushes over the Avalon Peninsula.
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System arriving on Monday
Atlantic Canada will find itself caught between two systems on Monday.
A low-pressure system skirting the region to the south is feasting on ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, a ridge of high pressure to the north will supply cold air to the region and serve to keep the storm far enough south that it doesn’t track directly over land.
Combined, the cold air, storm’s track, and tight pressure gradient will allow a period of heavy, wind-driven snow to sweep the Maritimes and Newfoundland to begin the workweek.
Expect precipitation to slide into southern Nova Scotia through early Monday morning. Snowfall will increase in both coverage and intensity across Nova Scotia through the morning commute, with light snow spilling over into New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Snowfall rates could climb as high as 2-3 cm per hour in Nova Scotia, which will make for difficult travel—especially in and around Halifax.
Gusty winds will accompany the heavy snowfall. Reduced visibility will make for hazardous travel for several hours on Monday morning.
Snow will begin to taper off from west to east across Nova Scotia by Monday afternoon as the storm tracks toward Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula.
Folks across the Avalon could feel the full brunt of this system, as snowfall rates could climb as high as 3 cm per hour at times. Gusty winds and heavy snowfall could allow for several hours of blizzard conditions across the Avalon Peninsula through Monday evening.
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Widespread snowfall totals of 10-15 cm are expected across Nova Scotia by the end of the storm on Monday. Some areas could see 15-20 cm of accumulation, especially around Shelburne in the south and Sherbrooke in the north.
A dusting of less than 5 cm of snow is in the forecast for eastern New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, including Saint John, Moncton, and Charlottetown.
The system’s steepest totals are likely to blanket the Avalon Peninsula by Tuesday morning. Widespread accumulations of 20-25 cm are expected from St. John’s south toward Trepassey. 15-20 cm of snow is in the forecast for the western half of the Avalon, with totals gradually falling off inland and along the Burin Peninsula.
Temperatures will remain quite chilly in the wake of the storm, with daytime high temperatures remaining far below freezing across the region, with even colder wind chill values.
Header image courtesy of Colin Lane.
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