Extreme cold, heavy snowfall for the Maritimes this weekend

A pedestrian crosses the road as high winds and heavy snow blanket Halifax, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

A major winter storm in the southern U.S. will trigger the development of a Nor’easter this weekend. The storm will approach and pass Nova Scotia late Sunday night through early Tuesday morning. The storm will be energized by bitterly cold air and has the potential to be a big snow producer for parts of the Maritimes.

The cold before the storm

Before Monday there are reasons for Maritimers to be cautious about weather conditions this weekend.

Temperatures will be frigid as polar air moves into the region. A Yellow Warning – Cold has been posted for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and northern Nova Scotia. Communities under the warning can expect wind chill to make it feel like -27 to -39 C at times. The coldest wind chills will be at night and early in the morning.

Remember that wind chill that makes it feel like it’s -28 C or colder carries a risk of frostbite to exposed skin in 30 minutes or less. Check on those who may be vulnerable during cold snaps and mind that your pets could be vulnerable if exposed for prolonged periods.

Areas not under the Yellow Warning – Cold can anticipate wind chills that feel colder than -20 C Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night, and Sunday morning.

The cold air blowing over the ocean will bring flurries and a risk of snow squalls to some areas. The greatest risk of snow squalls Friday night and Saturday is for the Tri-county region, North Shore and Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, and Kings County, P.E.I.

Inverness and Victoria counties in Cape Breton are under snow squall warnings that could deliver up to 15 cm of snow Saturday through Sunday morning.

Big snow, big ice

The southern U.S. is bracing for one of the worst snow and ice events they’ve had in years, if not decades.

Polar air combined with a low-pressure system drawing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is the perfect setup for a severe winter weather event. Winter storm watches and warnings stretch from Texas, into the Midwest and New England.

Southern New England, including Boston is under a warning that calls for a potential 30 to 40 cm of snow Sunday morning through Monday evening due to the Nor’easter threatening the Maritimes.

Another Monday Nor’easter, winter storm watch issued

For the second Monday in a row the Maritimes will need to be ready for weather impacts from a Nor’easter-type storm system.

Key differences between this storm and the one experienced this past week include:

• colder air favours snow that could be more powdery than wet
• slower storm movement could cause more snow to pile up
• gustier winds may create more blowing snow, reducing visibility and increasing the chance of deep snowbanks
• temperatures will be cold through the event and bitterly cold directly after

One similarity between the storms is their rapid development up the eastern seaboard. There is still time for significant change in the snow outlook. You will want to check in for the updates to the forecast through the weekend for Sunday night, Monday and even Tuesday.

A Yellow Watch – Winter Storm has been issued for the southwest of Nova Scotia. The watch cautions potential snowfall of 20 to 30 cm Sunday until Tuesday morning with wind gusts that could reach 60 to 80 km/h.

The remainder of Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are under a Special Weather Statement. The statement for Nova Scotia calls for 15 to 25 cm of potential snow Sunday night until Tuesday morning. The statement for southern New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island calls for 10 to 20 cm of potential snow Sunday night until Tuesday morning.

I’ve estimated higher accumulation of snow than the current weather alerts as I believe the powdery nature of the snow could add up to more depth on the ground.

My expectation is that snow will begin in the Maritimes late Sunday night, ongoing through much of Monday though there may be some breaks. Further snow will accumulate Monday night easing to flurries Tuesday.

I’ll have updates through the weekend at www.ctvnewsatlantic.