Parts of East Coast braces for messy New Year's Day with winter storm
Another round of messy winter weather is forecast to bring disruptive snow and wintry precipitation to Atlantic Canada to kick off 2026.
Atlantic Canada won't be catching much of a break between messy systems as we ring in 2026 with yet another round of messy snow and rain across Atlantic Canada.
A low-pressure system moving over the Great Lake and into the Bay of Fundy will gain strength over Atlantic Canada. A strong area of high pressure over Greenland, however, will block the system from moving into the Atlantic. Instead, the system will be pushed north and then backward over Labrador, resulting in a messy mix of heavy snowfall and rain across Atlantic Canada.
Higher terrains are likely to only see heavy snowfall, while coastal areas are likely to see a changeover to rain.
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Keep an eye on local weather alerts if you plan on travelling anywhere after their New Year's Eve or Day celebrations, as the heavy snow and rain could impact road conditions.
Up to 30 cm snow possible in the Maritimes New Year's Day
Cold air in place allows for precipitation to begin as wet snow on Thursday morning across Nova Scotia, but quickly changes to rain along the south coast.
Snowfall rates intensify as the storm matures through the day, with all-snow expected across much of New Brunswick and mixing near the Bay of Fundy coast.
The snow should ease substantially into Friday morning, leaving folks with light, blowing snow as the system moves north into Newfoundland and Labrador.
Heaviest snowfall expected across central and northern New Brunswick, where 20-30 cm is possible. A 10-20 cm includes Fredericton, Moncton, Sackville, while 5-15 cm is generally expected for P.E.I.
Up to 20 cm is possible in the higher terrain of Nova Scotia but it will be terrain-dependent over the Annapolis Valley and North Shore. Near 20 cm of snow is possible for the highest elevations of the Cobequid Pass (Highway 104).
Newfoundland to see a messy mix Friday
Heavy snow is forecast to begin over central Newfoundland Thursday morning, while a wintry mix changing to rain is in store for the Avalon Peninsula. It will ease by the evening, but the next storm from the Maritimes moves in quickly behind it.
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By Friday morning, a rain event is forecast for the south and east coasts, with patchy freezing rain over central Newfoundland.
Marginal temperatures for freezing rain, but some locations will be trapped with freezing air mass while some warmer air streams in aloft. Should ease, though, changing to light rain by Friday afternoon.
Just a couple of mm of icing is possible, enough to slick up roadways, but not high enough to produce significant power outages or disruption.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information and updates on your weather across Atlantic Canada.