Weather statement expanded as icy mix of weather expected in the Maritimes Wednesday

The same system that is bringing freezing rain to southern Ontario moves into the Maritimes. CTV Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell shares what to expect.

A low-pressure system that triggered Freezing Rain Warnings in southern Ontario will move into the Maritimes on Wednesday. A mix of snow, freezing rain, and rain is expected Wednesday into early Thursday morning. Special Weather Statements have been issued for parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Special weather statements

At 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Environment Canada updated and expanded the Special Weather Statement issued in the region. Central and southern New Brunswick remain under the statement with Cumberland County and Northern Colchester County added to it in Nova Scotia.

The statement covers the period from Wednesday morning until Thursday morning. Through that period a mixture of snow, freezing rain, and rain is expected to create slick roads and other surfaces such as driveways and parking lots.

The weather agency is cautioning for some communities the freezing rain may be ongoing for four to six hours. Where snow accumulates, as much as five-to-15 centimetres is expected.

While Prince Edward Island wasn’t included in the statement, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, similar conditions are possible for parts of that province Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

Snow and rain amounts

The amount of snow that accumulates will largely depend on the nature of the mix.

In New Brunswick, communities in the northern part of the province can expect one-to-five centimetres of snow. One-to-five centimetres are also expected in the southwestern corner of the province with freezing rain mixed in. Fredericton, the Kennebecasis Valley, and southeastern New Brunswick could pick up five-to-10 centimetres in a snow/freezing rain mix. The Moncton area could potentially see as much as 10-to-15 cm of snow mixed with freezing rain. While far from the highest snow event of the season, so far the freezing rain in the mix could make for particularly slick surfaces.

For Nova Scotia, much of the province is likely to receive five-to-15 millimetres of rain. The highest risk of freezing rain will be in the higher terrain of Cumberland and Colchester Counties as well as in the Cape Breton Highlands. Some forecast guidance has indicated five to 10 cm of snow, mixed with freezing rain, is possible for Cumberland County.

Prince Edward Island can expect one-to-five centimetres of snow in Kings County and five-to-10 centimetres in Queens and Prince County. There is a risk of freezing rain mixing in with the snow for Prince Edward Island as well. Much of the snow is likely to fall Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.

Wind is not expected to be particularly strong with the system. An easterly wind will increase to become sustained between 10 and 20 km/h for most of the Maritimes on Wednesday.