Snowfall warning issued in northern N.B., soggy and foggy for the rest of the Maritimes Thursday

CTV Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has the soggy and foggy details of the weather for the Maritimes moving through Thursday.

A developing low-pressure system will move through New England and then cross along the border of New Brunswick and Maine on Thursday on the way towards Labrador. That places most of the Maritimes on the mild and rainy side of the storm. There is the potential for some accumulating snow in the most northwestern area of New Brunswick.

Snowfall warnings

A Yellow Warning – Snowfall has been issued for Madawaska and Restigouche Counties in New Brunswick. That includes the communities of Edmundston, Saint Quentin, and Campbellton.

The alert covers the period of Wednesday overnight through Thursday. A snowfall of 15 to 20 cm is possible making for difficult road conditions and reduced visibility. Travelers heading into Quebec on the Trans-Canada Highway should expect to encounter snow covered road conditions entering that province as well.

The snow is likely to be “wet” and heavy by weight. If clearing snow manually, be sure to take frequent breaks to avoid too much physical strain.

Rain, drizzle, and fog

The remainder of the Maritimes can expect rain, drizzle, and fog from the system.

Cloudy conditions will persist into Wednesday night. Patchy drizzle and light rain will continue for Atlantic coastal Nova Scotia as well as Cape Breton. Rain and fog will become more widespread for the Maritimes overnight into early Thursday morning.

The steadiest of the rain will have cleared everywhere but eastern Nova Scotia by noon on Thursday. Eastern Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton, should be clear of the steady rain by late Thursday afternoon. Patchy drizzle and fog will linger in the Maritimes into Thursday evening. A final round of rain is expected to cross Nova Scotia Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Most of the region can expect rain totals of five-to-20 mm. Atlantic coastal Nova Scotia could finish with amounts of 20-to-35 mm. These winter rain events can lead to more water runoff than expected due to the frozen ground and blocked drainage systems. Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement for the Atlantic coastal counties of mainland Nova Scotia cautioning on higher rain totals.

Peak wind gusts will range 30-to-50 km/h for most. The Eastern Shore and North Shore of mainland Nova Scotia as well as Cape Breton should expect a period of peak gusts 50-to-70 km/h late Thursday morning through afternoon. Gusts could be as high as 100 km/h during that time in northern Inverness County due to the topography of the Cape Breton Highlands.

Freeze-thaw continues

Temperatures on Thursday will be very mild for mid-January. The daytime highs are expected to reach the mid-to-high single digits. Some double-digit high temperatures are possible in Nova Scotia.

The mild day is followed by a tumble in temperatures Thursday night into early Friday morning. New Brunswick can expect temperatures below freezing by sunrise Friday. Temperatures will fall towards freezing by Friday afternoon in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Watch for wet surfaces to turn icy.

Temperatures are expected to then be mild for January through the weekend. The next round of polar air will bring seasonably cold conditions to the Maritimes arriving Tuesday into Wednesday of next week.