Weather warnings in effect as snow, rain and wind in forecast for Atlantic Canada

A messy mix of heavy snow, rain and wind was forecast to hit much of Atlantic Canada starting Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday, prompting special weather statements for much of the region.

Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to see the worst of the storm, which is also forecast to impact Prince Edward Island and parts of New Brunswick, Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard said.

For the Maritime provinces, “there’s going to be some rain mixed in with the snow. So it’s a very tricky forecast, and it’s going to be some very wet and heavy snow,” Hubbard said in an interview Tuesday.

Hubbard said rain and snow amounts will likely fluctuate based on proximity to the coast, “and anyone that’s over higher terrain, where there’s a little bit cooler air over higher mountains … Cape Breton Highlands, those sorts of areas could see a bit more snow.”

The low pressure system forecast to begin in the Maritimes on Tuesday is expected to travel toward Newfoundland overnight into Wednesday, Hubbard said.

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The western part of Nova Scotia should get anywhere from 15-25 centimetres of snow, and the rest of the province is set to see 30-40 millimetres of rain, with the exception of the southern part of the province, where Shelburne and Yarmouth counties could see up to 50 mm of rainfall.

Hubbard said residents along the southern shore of Nova Scotia should prepare for elevated sea levels and strong waves, especially during Wednesday morning’s high tide.

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“We’re going to have a little bit of wave action there as well,” Hubbard said, adding that some flood-prone areas can expect localized flooding.

Environment Canada has issued a yellow weather warning for snowfall along western Nova Scotia, and a yellow rainfall alert for Shelburne and Yarmouth, where Environment Canada warns water will likely pool on roads and in other low-lying areas.

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The yellow alert, under the agency’s newly released colour-coded warning system, means hazardous weather may cause moderate damage or disruption, and the impacts are expected to be short-term or localized. An orange alert is used when severe weather events are expected to cause significant damage or disruption that may be widespread and last a few days.

The agency issued an orange alert for Newfoundland covering the Bonavista Peninsula, Terra Nova, Connaigre and the Clarenville area, where 30-40 cm of snow is expected, with higher amounts possible. Environment Canada is also calling for wind gusts hitting 80 to 100 kilometres per hour.

The interior and eastern part of Newfoundland is under a yellow alert for snowfall, which is likely to be accompanied by high winds.

In southeast New Brunswick, 10-15 centimetres of snow is expected. Prince Edward Island, meanwhile, is expected to get 15 or more cm of snow accompanied by high winds.

Hubbard said it’s important that residents across Atlantic Canada keep an eye on the forecast, especially if they plan to travel during the storm.

“Anywhere where there’s going to be snow falling, things could get a little messy and sloppy,” Hubbard said.