Weekend may finish with a Nor’easter in the Maritimes

A pedestrian crosses the road with a snow brush as high winds and heavy snow blanket Halifax, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. An intense winter storm closed schools and interrupted travel across most of Nova Scotia on Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

Colder January temperatures will return to the Maritimes Friday into Saturday.

Periods of lighter snow is expected for some areas through the weekend. A Nor’easter brews on the US eastern seaboard and it looks like it will likely bring significant weather to parts of the Maritimes Sunday night into Monday.

Cold wind

In the wake of a low-pressure system that has now moved on to Newfoundland, a cold and gusty west wind has developed across the Maritimes.

Temperatures will continue to fall to and below freezing by late Friday afternoon. Watch for any icy or slushy surfaces to turn icy. The higher winds will ease through Friday evening and night.

Expect a more typical January feel to the air Friday night and Saturday. Low temperatures Friday night will fall several degrees below zero and into the minus teens for parts of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The low temperatures in Madawaska County, New Brunswick could fall to near -20.

After a cold start to Saturday, temperatures will recover and even turn mild again for the afternoon. Daytime highs will be in the low to mid single digits for Nova Scotia, southern New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Remaining below zero for northern areas of New Brunswick.

Weekend snow, flurries, and showers

The weekend weather isn’t absent of snow.

Snow and flurries will develop in western New Brunswick and western Nova Scotia Saturday afternoon. The snow will reach eastern New Brunswick, eastern Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island Saturday evening and night.

The snow is expected to produce amounts of 1 to 5 cm with possible pockets of 5 to 10 cm. Areas to watch for 5 to 10 cm include the southwest of New Brunswick, the Annapolis Valley and Minas Basin area of mainland Nova Scotia, the Highlands of Cape Breton and parts of eastern Prince Edward Island.

Snow may mix with or turn to rain for the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia. Some isolated flurries or showers are possible during the day on Sunday.

Sunday night-Monday Nor’easter

The next round of more impactful weather is with a Nor’easter type weather system Sunday night into Monday.

The Nor’easter will start to get its legs under it off the coastline of the Carolinas Sunday morning. It will then strengthens rapidly as it approaches and passes along the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia Sunday night.

The path would give the highest chance of a snowfall of 15 cm or more for Nova Scotia and eastern Prince Edward Island, with much of New Brunswick receiving lighter snow from the system, 5 cm or less. Possible pockets of 5-to-10 cm is possible right along the southern part of that province. Mixing of ice pellets and freezing rain could also keep snow amounts a bit lower on the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia.

There has been some large day-by-day change in guidance for where the heaviest of the snow could fall. That isn’t uncommon with a weather system that rapidly develop within the span of about a day. It would be best to check in on your Sunday night and Monday forecast a few times through the weekend. It is certainly possible that snow could impact commutes and plans on Monday.