First significant snow of the season for parts of the Maritimes Thursday, Friday

First major snowfall for the Maritimes Chief meteorologist Kalin Mitchell discusses the first significant snowfall for the Maritimes this season.

A low-pressure system moving up the eastern seaboard of the United States is forecasted to bring a mixture of snow and rain into the Maritimes Thursday night into Friday.

Snowfall outlook

Cutting straight to the chase, here is my current outlook for potential snowfall.

Given the track of the system is expected to come in either across Nova Scotia or up the Bay of Fundy, the most primed area for snowfall will be New Brunswick. Much of the southern and central part of the province should anticipate five-to-15 cm of heavy, wet snow.

Western areas of Prince Edward Island could also pick up totals exceeding 10 cm with lower amounts further east in the province where more rain is expected.

There will be some tricky spots in Nova Scotia as well, mostly due to higher terrain. Watch the trouble spots of the Cobequid Pass and Mount Thom areas to pick up some slippery, slushy accumulation. The Cape Breton Highlands could also pick up 10-plus cm of wet snow. Much of the remainder of Nova Scotia may see some snow but also rain with general totals of 10-to-25 mm.

The timing of this system has the bulk of the snow falling Thursday night and early Friday morning. Best to plan for slippery and disrupted commutes Friday morning for areas that pick up higher snow amounts. Give yourself time and space on the roads.

As of noon Wednesday, Environment Canada has some areas under a Special Weather Statement, cautioning that snow totals could reach 15 cm. Continue to monitor that weather agency for updates to those statement and any further alerts issued.

Gusty wind

A gusty easterly wind will develop as the mix of snow and rain moves in.

Peak gusts of 30-to-50 km/h can be expected for most of the Maritimes. Gusts on exposed areas of the Atlantic coastline could peak at 50-to-70 km/h. Due to the topography of the Cape Breton Highlands, northern Inverness County could hit some gusts as high as 90-to-120 km/h early Friday morning.

By Friday afternoon the wind will become northwest with gusts of 30-to-60 km/h.

Chilly temperatures follow

There is a round of colder Arctic air slowly working west-to-east across the continent.

A westerly wind Friday through the weekend will allow for some of that to filter into the Maritimes.

Expect daytime high temperatures near to just above freezing for much of the Maritimes starting Saturday and continuing next week. Overnight low temperatures will fall a few to several degrees below zero.