Snow for some Friday night, more expected early next week

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

A low-pressure system exiting the northeastern U.S. will bring snow to parts of southwestern New Brunswick and southwestern Nova Scotia late Friday night into Saturday morning.

A nor’easter may bring a more widespread heavy snowfall to the Maritimes late Monday into Tuesday. Special weather statements have been issued by Environment Canada for that system.

Snowfall Friday night to Saturday

Snow from the northeastern U.S. is expected to arrive in the southwestern coastal area of New Brunswick between 9 p.m. and midnight Friday. The snow is developing across southwestern Nova Scotia overnight. The snow will linger early Saturday morning before clearing to the east.

Snowfall duration will be relatively short but will create some slippery conditions due to snow covered roads. The most accumulation is expected for parts of Yarmouth, Shelburne, and Queens Counties in Nova Scotia. Those areas could see as much as 10-to-20 cm of snow.

Lighter snow is expected in the Annapolis Valley, Lunenburg County, and western Halifax County in Nova Scotia. Snow totals 5 cm or less. It doesn’t take much more than a few centimetres of snow to make for slick surfaces, and some caution should be used if driving early Saturday morning.

Weekend snow and flurries

Saturday afternoon will see a band of snow and flurries develop off the Gulf of St. Lawrence for eastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and northern/eastern areas of Nova Scotia.

The snow will persist into Saturday night and may be accompanied by brief periods of snow squall-like conditions. Snow squall-like conditions would include bursts of heavier snow and reduced visibility. Snow amounts of two-to-eight centimetres should be expected but could total 10-to-20 cm in higher terrain.

That would include the mountainous areas of Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, Inverness, and Victoria Counties in Nova Scotia. That same part of the Maritimes will be down to a chance of flurries for Sunday.

Monday into Tuesday nor’easter

Special Weather Statements were issued by Environment Canada Friday morning for Kings and Queens Counties in Prince Edward Island as well as the entire province of Nova Scotia.

The statement goes on to caution the public that will there is still some uncertainty in the track of the system, there is the potential for a significant snowfall. For Prince Edward Island, the potential is 15 to 20 cm in central and eastern areas. For Nova Scotia the potential is for 15-to-25 cm of snow. The snow possibly accompanied by northeasterly gusts of 60-to-80 km/h at times.

The snow and higher winds are projected to reach southwestern Nova Scotia by Monday afternoon. The snow and wind then developing across the Maritimes by and through Monday evening. The snow clearing west-to-east Tuesday morning.

Depending on the track of the system there is a chance that parts of eastern Nova Scotia could see a change from snow-to-rain Monday night into Tuesday morning. I highly recommend keeping tabs on your local forecast throughout the weekend for the Monday afternoon into Tuesday period of next week.