Rain, showers, late April snow expected in the Maritimes on Wednesday

A pedestrian shields themselves from rain and wind in Halifax on Thursday, January 26, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

A weather front from the west and a low-pressure system over the Atlantic will bring a mixture of rain, showers, and even a touch of late April snow to the Maritimes on Wednesday.

Morning rain

The first of the wet weather arrives in northern New Brunswick and eastern Nova Scotia Wednesday morning. Northern New Brunswick along with Guysborough, Antigonish, and Cape Breton can expect to pick up about five to 15 mm of rain.

Rain and showers develop across the rest of New Brunswick through Wednesday afternoon. The rest of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island will receive rain Wednesday evening and night. Those parts of the Maritimes will pick up a few to several millimetres of rain.

Fair weather is in the forecast for Friday. It does remain cooler for Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton.

Wet snow

Northern New Brunswick will see the late part of the rain turn to a brief period of wet snow Wednesday afternoon and evening. Other parts of the Maritimes could see a switch from some showers over to flurries Wednesday night. Due to the thawed ground and preceding rain, not much accumulation is expected from the snow.

Some of the higher elevations in northern New Brunswick could pick up one-to-five centimetres. The Cape Breton Highlands might also pick up a centimetre or two Wednesday night.

Some late April snow is possible in the higher elevations of northern New Brunswick and the Cape Breton Highlands.

Sunshine follows

A mix of sun and cloud is expected with a chance of spotty showers or flurries on Thursday. A cooler and blustery day, winds will be from the northwest and gust 20 to 50 km/h. High temperatures for most areas will be held in the single digits.

After that, a ridge of high pressure is expected to build in from the west Thursday night, in place for Friday. The high-pressure system will give the region a mostly sunny close to the week. High temperatures for much of the Maritimes will range eight to 13 degrees, through cooler, four to eight degrees, for Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton.

Fair weather is in the forecast for Friday. It does remain cooler for Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton.