Brace for that freeze-thaw cycle! Snowy weekend will turn wet and foggy
The next bout of winter weather is never far away in the Maritimes, Kalin Mitchell says
This time of the year, "the next system" is never far away for the Maritimes.
That's the case this weekend as a low pressure moves from United States into southern Ontario, then up the St. Lawrence River Valley.
This places the Maritimes on the eastern, or warm, side of the low. Nova Scotia kicks off the weekend with a round of snow Saturday, moving through a dizzying freeze-thaw cycle to end in rain, drizzle, and fog on Sunday.
Get your shovels ready
Flurries will turn to periods of snow across the mainland into the afternoon. The snow will fill in across Cape Breton late afternoon and evening.
General snowfall amounts will be five to 10 centimetres for most areas. Digby, Yarmouth and Shelburne counties may see less snow due to it mixing more quickly with rain.
The snow will be accompanied by gusty south and southwest winds. Warmer air brought in by the southerlies will push temperatures above the freezing mark across Nova Scotia by late Saturday evening and near midnight.
Warm Sunday
By Sunday morning, we will be several degrees above freezing. Temperatures eventually will range 10 C to 14 C by Sunday afternoon.
Rain, drizzle, and fog will accompany the warm Sunday. There may be standing water from melting snow and blocked drainage systems despite only an expected 10 to 22 mm of rainfall.
Winds will increase on Sunday to include some southwest gusts of 60 to 80 km/h.
Those winds will turn northwest Sunday night and result in temperatures returning below freezing.
While not a "flash freeze" setup, it is certainly possible that we will have to contend with icy spots on roads, sidewalks and walking paths to start next week.
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