Weather warnings blanket Maritimes as major winter storm approaches

Environment Canada issued weather warnings across the Maritimes Thursday afternoon.

Heavy rain and high wind move into the Maritimes Friday afternoon and evening. Some accumulating snow in northern New Brunswick.

A major winter storm, moving through Ontario into Quebec, will develop a strong east-southeast wind in the region Friday afternoon into night.

Peak gusts of up to 90 km/h are called for with a few exceptions. The northeast coastline of New Brunswick could hit gusts of 110 km/h. In northern Inverness County, gusts could reach 120 km/h due to the topography of the Highlands.

The weather agency notes that “similar storms in the past have resulted in utility outages” and “high winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.”

The wind is expected to diminish west-to-east Saturday morning.

Wind Warnings are in effect for the entirety of the Maritimes.

Heavy rain will accompany the strong winds. Rainfall Warnings are in effect for the entirety of the Maritimes, except the northwestern corner of New Brunswick. Rain amounts will be in the area of 20 to 40 mm, with higher local amounts possible. Water runoff from saturated or frozen ground could create localized flooding.

There is an additional risk of several hours of freezing rain for the St. John River Valley in New Brunswick Friday afternoon.

Snowfall Warnings for the storm are restricted to the Mount Carleton – Renous Highway and the Bathurst and Chaleur regions of northern New Brunswick. The warnings call for snow totals of 15 to 20 cm Friday afternoon and night, before an eventual change to rain. Other areas of northern New Brunswick could see some initial snow accumulation of less than 15 cm before a turn to rain.

Rainfall and Snowfall Warnings issued for the region Thursday afternoon.

A risk of storm surge is noted in remaining Special Weather Statements for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and northeastern New Brunswick. While the timing for that risk spans late Friday into Saturday, it is noted that “the highest threat will be during the high tides during the day on Saturday.”

The storm will impact travel and travel services in the region. It is recommended to check on the status of flights and ferries frequently. Hazardous weather will be impacting a large portion of eastern Canada, including much of Quebec and Ontario.

A risk of storm surge on parts of the coast during high tides late Friday into Saturday.

Nova Scotia Power and the province's emergency management officials have been monitoring the storm, which is the same system that has impacted western parts of Canada and parts of the U.S.

"Most likely there will be some power outages and restorations underway and likely damages to some roads," said Jason Mew, director of incident management with Nova Scotia's EMO. "Public works and various other provincial departments and Nova Scotia Power are all ramping up to be ready to respond."

It's anticipated trees and branches could fall and break from the powerful winds and cause widespread outages, there's also a concern for the health of some trees following Hurricane Fiona's impact in September.

"We have seen quite a bit of weakening of trees and branches since Fiona," said Sean Borden, storm lead with Nova Scotia Power. "Since then, we have had over 100 people out in the field every day removing trees around power lines."

Borden says they have crews spreading out across the province, as this storm is expected to impact the entire province, but it's tough to predict the damage.

"We'll be in a better condition closer to the event and early Saturday morning to be able to provide customers with any restoration times," said Borden.