Wintry mix expected in the Maritimes Wednesday; snowfall warnings for New Brunswick

An autumn mix of snow, ice pellets, and rain will impact the Maritimes Wednesday afternoon into early Thursday morning.

The storm will move up the Bay of Fundy and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, bringing rain and winds to the south and east of its track, and cold and snow to the north and west.

Parts of northern and central New Brunswick are expected to see the most snow.

Snowfall warnings are in effect for parts of New Brunswick and Quebec. Northern Maine is under winter Storm warnings and advisories.

Environment Canada expanded snowfall warnings into northern and northeastern areas of New Brunswick Tuesday afternoon. Between 15 and 30 cm of snow is expected, which could make for difficult driving conditions during the commute late Wednesday afternoon.

Snowfall warnings also extend back into the St. Lawrence River Valley of Quebec and northern Maine is under a winter storm warning by the National Weather Service.

Commuters in much of New Brunswick should plan for winter road conditions Wednesday afternoon and night.

The highest totals of snow and ice pellets are expected in the area from Woodstock to Edmundston and then east to Bathurst in New Brunswick.

The eastern coastline of New Brunswick will see a mix of rain and ice pellets. The turn to rain will limit snow accumulation in southern New Brunswick. While Fredericton could pick up 5 to 10 cm of snow, Saint John and Moncton will likely see 5 cm or less before it changes to rain.

On Prince Edward Island, there may be some initial snow of 2 to 5 cm up west before it turns to rain.

In Nova Scotia, it will mostly be a rain event, with the exception of some snow in the Cape Breton Highlands.

The snowiest weather will be in central and northern areas of New Brunswick. Other areas in the Maritimes will see a quicker turn to rain.

The mix of snow and rain will clear to the east early Thursday morning. Areas of showers and flurries will linger in the wake of the system throughout the day Thursday.

Gusty east and southeast winds will accompany the precipitation. The highest gusts will most likely be felt on the Bay of Fundy coastline of New Brunswick and the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia, where they will peak between 50 km/h and 70 km/h. A wind warning has been issued for northern Inverness County in Cape Breton, with gusts expected to reach 100 km/h.

Wind in northern New Brunswick will be out of the northeast and gust 20 km/h to 50 km/h. While the wind in northern New Brunswick won’t be particularly strong, it will blow the falling snow around, reducing visibility.

A gusty southeasterly wind will be present for coastal areas Wednesday evening. A colder northeast wind will be felt in northern New Brunswick.

Updates on the amounts and timing of the snow will be shared on CTV News at Noon, 5, 6, and 11:30 p.m. and online.