First significant snow of the season in northwestern New Brunswick Sunday

A pedestrian walks down the middle of the road on Victoria Street in Downtown Moncton, N.B., on Thursday, January 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray (Stephen MacGillivray/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A low pressure system developing in Manitoba on Friday will move quickly across Ontario, Quebec and into the Maritimes Sunday.

New Brunswick will be on the northern side of the system and experience a mix of snow and rain while Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island can expect mostly rain.

Colder November air lingers

Of course, to have snow you have to have some colder air in place.

The Maritimes remains in a trough, or southerly dip, in the jet stream. Cradled within that dip is air that was sourced out of the polar region earlier this week and has been refreshed by a northwest wind. Most temperatures across the Maritimes will fall to and below freezing by Saturday morning. The daytime highs on Saturday in the low-single digits.

The Sunday system will briefly boost temperatures up as the snow-rain mix moves through but chilly air will return behind it, forecast to be in place much of next week.

Sunday snow and rain

Early Sunday morning rain will arrive in the southwest of Nova Scotia with a mix of snow turning to rain in the southwest of New Brunswick.

The rain, and snow-rain mix, will then develop southwest to northeast across the Maritimes through the morning hours and into the early afternoon. Accumulating snow is expected in the northwest of New Brunswick through that period. Rain should clear southwestern New Brunswick and western Nova Scotia by late afternoon-early Sunday evening. Rain and snow clearing the remainder of the Maritimes through Sunday evening.

Rain totals of 10 to 20 mm can be expected for most areas.

Snowy northwestern New Brunswick

A Special Weather Statement is in effect for the northwest corner of New Brunswick including the counties of Carleton, Victoria, Madawaska, Northumberland and Restigouche.

The statement cautions on a potential snowfall of 10 to 20 cm early Sunday morning to afternoon. Motorists travelling through that area on Sunday are being advised that they “should prepare for delays and allow extra time to reach your destination due to winter driving conditions.”

This is likely to be one of those snow events where accumulation varies greatly depending on elevation. Lower elevations may see snow restricted to just a few centimetres. As you climb higher into the more mountainous terrain then the chance of accumulation of 10 or more centimetres increase.

It doesn’t take much for roads to get slick though. It is the possibility of slippery and snowy road conditions that is the biggest concern. If you are in a community that experiences a snowy Sunday we’d like your reports and pictures. They can be sent to [e-mail].