Maritime Weather: Rain reports and snow continuing into Friday evening

CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has details on current weather warnings in place in the Maritimes and what the weekend has in store.

A sprawling late winter storm system brought periods of rain to the Maritimes over the past 36 hours. On the backside of the storm a colder westerly wind is taking over. Lingering rain in the region is turning to snow and flurries.

Rain reports and averages for March

Aside from parts of southwestern New Brunswick and southwestern Nova Scotia, rain totals finished near the lower end of what was forecast for the Maritimes despite receiving 10 to 25 mm in much of the region.

rain totals Rain totals reported from Thursday morning to Friday morning at select locations in the Maritimes.

Totals of 30 to 60 mm in the southwest of New Brunswick and in Yarmouth/Digby Couties – Nova Scotia. Including rain totals from Wednesday some communities in southern New Brunswick received 70 to 80 mm of rain.

For some context the higher rain totals in southern New Brunswick come close to the 30-year average amount of March rain for that area. Roughly a quarter to three-quarters of the total precipitation in the month of March comes in the form of rain for the Maritimes. The remainder in the form of snow.

March Rain Thirty-year averages for March rain at select sites in the Maritimes.

Friday snow

Rain turned to snow in northern and western parts of New Brunswick early Friday morning. Highway cameras showed enough snow to cause slippery road conditions in some areas.

The snow has been steadiest in the northwest corner of New Brunswick where a Snowfall Warning was issued by Environment Canada.

Additional Snow Additional snow possible Friday afternoon into late Friday evening.

The remaining accumulated snow and flurries for the Maritimes should be limited to one-to-five centimetres. The northwestern corner of New Brunswick can expect improved weather conditions through the evening. Scattered flurries are expected in the Maritimes overnight Friday into Saturday.

Temperatures in the Maritimes continue to fall below freezing through Friday evening. Be cautious of wet or slushy surfaces turning icy.

Windy days

The Maritimes were buffeted by southerly and then westerly winds as the storm passed.

Westerly gusts of 40 to 70 km/h will be present Friday night and Saturday. Some coastal areas could experience gusts of 70 to 90 km/h, including the coastline of Digby, Yarmouth and Shelburne Counties in Nova Scotia. A Wind Warning was issued for that area and is expected to be in effect until early Saturday morning.

Sustained northwest winds of 15 to 30 km/h with gusts from 30 to 60 km/h are forecast for Sunday.

The west then northwest wind bring a chill to the air through the weekend.

As a reminder the clocks move forward an hour on Sunday when daylight savings time begins.

Umbrella A pedestrian shields themselves from rain and wind in Halifax. (Darren Calabrese)

Saturday gusts Windy conditions expected both Friday night and Saturday in the Maritimes.