Heavy snow, significant ice blanketing the Maritimes into Monday
Power outages are possible and travel disruptions are likely as heavy snow and widespread ice blanket the Maritimes overnight into Monday
A major winter storm arrived in the Maritimes on Sunday with widespread heavy snow that changed over to a messy mix of freezing rain and ice pellets for some areas.
Very heavy snow in northern New Brunswick will bring some communities 30-40+ cm of snowfall by the time the storm wraps up. Significant icing from freezing rain is possible for portions of Nova Scotia.
DON’T MISS: Freezing rain and ice pellets are dangerous winter hazards
Similar storms in the past have brought localized power outages, minor tree damage, traffic delays and hazardous driving conditions.
Make sure your vehicle is prepared if you absolutely have to travel during hazardous conditions. Stay up-to-date on your local weather alerts, and be sure to check the latest highway conditions before heading out.
Sunday into Monday: Snow, ice begin to push into the Maritimes
We’ve already seen snow change over to freezing rain throughout much of Nova Scotia by Sunday evening. Warm air just above the surface will continue inching into the Maritimes through the night, forcing snow to change over to ice pellets in the evening and early overnight for southern New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and eastern Prince Edward Island.
Fredericton, N.B., will see 3-5 hours of snow before switching to ice pellets Sunday evening, only to be followed by patchy freezing rain overnight.
Freezing rain, heavy at times, will then move over Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy shores, followed by a brief period of regular rain for Nova Scotia early Monday. The heaviest amounts will fall through the southwestern portion of Nova Scotia.
That includes the cities of Halifax, Saint John, and Charlottetown.
Temperatures in western and central Nova Scotia will briefly climb well above the freezing mark after the freezing rain, helping to melt the ice before temperatures drop back below zero throughout Monday.
Power outages are possible due to strong wind gusts and icy power lines. Communities that receive significant accumulations of ice pellets may find that it’ll be very difficult to shovel once it has a chance to freeze solid.
WATCH: Freezing rain warning for Halifax and beyond Sunday
New Brunswick to bear the brunt of the snow
New Brunswick will bear the brunt of the heaviest snowfall, with a threat of 30-40+ cm of accumulation in the northeastern sections of the province, where snowfall rates could reach 4-6+ cm/h. It is possible we could see blizzard conditions develop here.
A wider swath of 20-40 cm of snow will also extend into central areas of the province.
Some southern communities could see 20-30 cm, with amounts dropping off as you get close to the southern coastal areas.
Elsewhere in Atlantic Canada, amounts won't be as high but will be hefty in some locales. Parts of P.E.I., eastern Nova Scotia, and northern and western Newfoundland could see 10-20 cm of snowfall.
Snow will then move over Newfoundland Monday morning and continue into the afternoon, with parts of the Burin and Avalon peninsulas receiving some icy precipitation. Flurries will continue into Tuesday.
Very cold weather is expected to return as the storm heads out to sea. Another storm is possible late next week, especially for southern parts of the region.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on this approaching winter storm.