Weather alerts issued in Maritimes ahead of icy Wednesday night into Thursday morning

Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for southern/central New Brunswick and a special weather statement for western/northern mainland Nova Scotia.

Areas in New Brunswick under the freezing rain warning can expect snow or ice pellets to turn to a prolonged period of freezing rain Wednesday night.

Ice build-up from the freezing rain will be a risk into Thursday morning until temperatures rise above zero.

The statement for Nova Scotia says, “A potentially significant period of ice pellets and freezing rain is expected to affect the region beginning Wednesday evening and ending Thursday morning.” Untreated surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and walking paths could become icy and slick.

Weather statements and warnings issued in Maritimes ahead of icy Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

The inclement weather is the result of a slow-moving weather front reaching the eastern seaboard off of a developing low in the U.S. Midwest. The same system is responsible for winter storm warnings stretching from southeastern Manitoba into northern Ontario, where 15 to 25 cm of snow is possible.

Special weather statements and freezing rain warnings extend into the Ottawa Valley as well as southern Quebec.

No major weather issues are expected for the Maritimes Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, and Wednesday afternoon. Between 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, a mix of snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain is expected to reach southwestern New Brunswick and southwestern Nova Scotia.

Rain may be present on parts of the coast. The mix of snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain will develop across New Brunswick and mainland Nova Scotia by midnight. A lighter mix of snow and ice pellets may reach Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton overnight.

Snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain spreads across much of New Brunswick and mainland Nova Scotia Wednesday night.

Icy conditions will continue into Thursday morning. By noon, air temperatures will have come up enough to end the risk of ice accretion for most of the Maritimes. A risk of lighter, patchy freezing rain extends for northern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton until mid-to-late Thursday afternoon, with lighter rain, drizzle, and fog for the Maritimes Thursday evening and night.

Some approximate windows of time when frozen precipitation (snow, ice pellets, freezing rain) may occur Wednesday into Thursday.

There are a few areas of higher icing potential indicated by forecast guidance. One of those areas is the southwestern area of New Brunswick, from Woodstock to the Kennebecasis Valley including Fredericton. The second area is the interior of the west of mainland Nova Scotia including the Annapolis Valley.

For both of those areas, coastal locations may see less in the way of ice as temperatures may be enough for just rain to fall. A band of snow with totals of two to 10 cm is possible running from the northwest of New Brunswick into Moncton and the southeast and then into northern mainland Nova Scotia.

Snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain spreads across much of New Brunswick and mainland Nova Scotia Wednesday night.

You can join me for updates, animated timelines, and live looks at the system as it is developing on CTV News Atlantic 5, 6, and 11:30 p.m.