A significant winter storm pushing up the East Coast to start the weekend could bring 20 to 30 cm of snow to some communities through Saturday.
A low-pressure system is rapidly intensifying as it tracks through the region, likely reaching ‘weather bomb’ criteria as its minimum central air pressure falls 24 millibars in just 24 hours through Saturday.
Significant travel disruptions are likely with the heavy snow across the Maritimes, while several hours of freezing rain will threaten an icy glaze throughout much of interior Newfoundland. Weather warnings are widespread.
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Drivers are urged to plan ahead based on the changing road conditions, and to possibly postpone non-essential travel until conditions improve. Because it’s such a busy time with the holidays, it’ll be important to stay weather-aware, and up-to-date on all of the warnings in your area.
Widespread windy conditions are likely across the region, as well, with the risk for localized power outages. Be sure to charge up your devices before the storm moves in.
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Storm continues to strengthen through Saturday
The system tracked south of the Maritimes overnight Friday and will be heading into Newfoundland through the day on Saturday, just meeting the ‘weather bomb’ threshold. The storm’s pressure is continuing to drop on Saturday morning, which means the strongest wind gusts are still to come for parts of the northern Maritimes and Newfoundland.
Southeastern portions of Nova Scotia have the chance to transition to rain for part of the event, which could contribute to more of a slushy mess. It’s possible for some ice pellets to also fall in the Halifax area, but the greatest chance for the icy mix will be just east of the city.
There will be a swath of accumulating snow that could range from 15-30 cm over parts of Nova Scotia, PEI, southwest New Brunswick and western Newfoundland.
The heaviest swath of snow will shift westward through Saturday morning, bringing the highest snow totals to New Brunswick. Meanwhile, Halifax will be seeing a quicker end to the snow on Saturday.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in its snowfall warning for Nova Scotia.
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Eastern Newfoundland might see some flurries to start, but rain will be the primary precipitation type for the Avalon.
Western Newfoundland, on the other hand, will be engulfed in snow by Saturday morning, with an area of freezing rain moving northwest through central parts of the island. A snowy, slushy, and icy mix is expected from Gander to Port aux Basques.
“Anyone planning travel should be prepared for adverse weather conditions,” warns Environment Canada in its special weather statement for Newfoundland.
Strong winds could lead to whiteouts and power outages
Gusty conditions will heighten the threat for whiteout conditions for parts of the Maritimes and western Newfoundland. Gusts between 50-80 km/h are forecast across the Maritimes, with even higher gusts up to 100 km/h possible for the Avalon.
The combination of wet snow and gusty winds may also result in localized power outages.
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Colder temperatures will flood in behind this system, so whatever snow is on the ground will stick around for Christmas.
Colder-than-seasonal temperatures will continue through early next week, then temperatures will rebound around the mid-week mark, with above seasonal temperatures expected for the end of the week. A mild pattern is expected for the final days of December and into the first week of January.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across Atlantic Canada.