Blizzard warning and snow squall watches issued as bitter cold arrives in Maritimes
A cold front ushering bitterly cold weather into the Maritimes has now finished crossing the region.
Temperatures are plummeting as Arctic-sourced air is brought in by an increasingly gusty west/northwest wind. Peak gusts are expected to reach 50 to 70 km/h Friday night through Saturday morning. Gusts as high as 80 km/h are possible on the coast and at higher terrain.
The strong wind combined with the cold air could produce wind chill values making it feel in the range of -35C to -45C. Such a wind chill can lead to an increased risk of frostbite on exposed skin in 30 minutes or less. Extreme cold warnings remain in effect for all three Maritime provinces.
A bitterly cold wind chill will last through Friday night and into Saturday.
The cold air running over open ocean waters is expected to create some snow squalls -- narrow, but often intense, bands of snow.
The intensity of the snow squalls depends on the temperature difference between the ocean water and the air above it. The colder that air is the more intense and lasting the squalls can be.
As the cold air moves into place, the risk of squalls is higher. Areas at most risk of snow squall activity Friday night through Saturday include southwest of Nova Scotia, Annapolis Valley into Truro, southern Colchester County, the North Shore, and Cape Breton. Kings County in P.E.I. and the Acadian Peninsula in New Brunswick could also experience snow squalls. While highly local by nature, squalls could produce amounts of 10 to 20 cm but over 30 cm in the Cape Breton Highlands.
Environment Canada issued a snow squall watch for the above-mentioned areas in Nova Scotia as well as Kings County, P.E.I.
Snow squalls are a risk where the cold wind blows in from over ocean waters Friday night and Saturday.
The Acadian Peninsula is under a blizzard warning, which doesn’t require falling snow, but instead calls for a more prolonged period of poor visibility created by blowing snow.
Blizzard warning criteria is four hours or more of a wind blowing 40 km/h or stronger, producing blowing snow -- bringing visibility down to 400 metres or less. Conditions in these areas should improve from Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Snow Squall Watches that are in effect are highlighted in yellow. A Blizzard Warning for the Acadian Peninsula where whiteout conditions are possible through Saturday is highlighted in purple.
Wind chill will also improve significantly from Saturday evening into Sunday morning as the wind eases. While Sunday will start cold, temperatures will moderate through the day as a southerly wind returns some milder air up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.
Snow is expected with the moderating temperatures on Sunday. The snow is expected to total five cm or less in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where it may also mix with rain. New Brunswick could see some snow totals in the range of five to 10 cm.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.