Snow, rain, gusty weather will move through Maritimes late in the week

Parts of the Maritimes are expected to see snow and rain this week. CTV Atlantic's chief meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has the latest.

A low-pressure system will move out of the Great Lakes and into the Maritimes Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, bringing a mix of snow, rain, and gusty winds with it.

Special weather statements

A special weather statement has been issued for the Atlantic coastal counties of Nova Scotia where some of the heavier rain and higher wind gusts are expected. This includes Yarmouth County, through Halifax County, and Richmond/Cape Breton counties.

The weather agency expects 20 to 30 mm of rain to fall Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. Snow and ice melt, blocked drainage systems, and still frozen ground will contribute to more water runoff that would be typical with that amount of rain. There is a risk of localized flooding and water ponding.

The rain is expected to be accompanied by peak southerly wind gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. Due to the topography of the Cape Breton Highlands, peak gusts in northern Inverness County could reach 110 km/h late Thursday night into early Friday morning.

Gusts for the remainder of the Maritimes are expected to peak between 30 and 60 km/h.

Snow and rain amounts

Snow arrives in southwestern Nova Scotia and western New Brunswick early Thursday afternoon. Snow is expected to develop across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island by late Thursday afternoon and early evening.

The snow in Nova Scotia will turn to rain within two-to-four hours. The snow is also expected to mix with rain in southern New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Rain may continue for parts of Prince Edward Island and eastern Nova Scotia through Friday morning.

New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island may see five-to-10 centimetres of snow from the system. Due to the rain mixing in for southern New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, there will be melting and compaction of that snow once it is on the ground.

Snow will generally total five cm or less for Nova Scotia followed by 10 to 30 mm of rain. As stated above, the higher rainfall totals are expected up and down the Atlantic coastline of the province.

March in like a lion?

Colder air moves back in behind the low-pressure system Friday night, with temperatures falling below freezing across the region by Saturday morning. Be careful of any standing slushy or wet surfaces turning icy.

A second low off the Great Lakes is projected to arrive Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. Weather conditions will be similar to the Thursday system, in that it will likely be a mix of snow, rain, and gusty wind for the Maritimes. There is a chance that snow amounts with this second system could be higher in New Brunswick. There are early indications that some areas in that province could approach 10-to-15 cm.

Colder air returns behind the weekend low-pressure system and temperatures will fall back well below freezing Sunday into Monday. The first week of March off to a cold start in the region.