UPDATE: Winter-storm warning in effect
Central New Brunswick, including Fredericton region, to see snow, freezing rain Tuesday
Following up on a snowfall warning and special weather statement issued Monday, the federal weather service upgraded its alerts early Tuesday morning to a winter-storm warning for later in the day in the capital region.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s weather service revised its alerts for a Tuesday weather system to a winter-storm warning for central New Brunswick.
“Snow, at times heavy, followed by freezing rain, is expected,” the warning, issued at 4:59 a.m. Tuesday, stated.
The weather service is calling for snowfall beginning Tuesday afternoon, with amounts totalling 15 to 25 centimetres expected. That’s to be followed by two to eight millimetres of freezing rain, which is expected to last three to five hours.
It notes the storm is expected to last until Wednesday morning.
“Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult,” the advisory issued Monday stated. “Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.”
Compounding the weather picture for the Fredericton area, though, is a special weather statement about the potential for freezing rain to follow.
The statement, in effect for central and southern New Brunswick, notes that freezing rain amounting to three to eight millimetres is possible for those areas, beginning Tuesday evening and continuing overnight.
“Similar storms in the past have caused: adverse driving conditions, closure of schools and cancellations of scheduled activities, delays and disruptions to transportation networks [and] disruptions to essential public services,” the storm warning said.
“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.”
The weather service noted such winter-storm warnings are issued when different types of inclement weather are predicted to occur at the same time.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s forecast for Fredericton for Tuesday is calling for a high of -4 C, with a wind call of -15 C in the morning, climbing to -6 C in the afternoon.
Easterly winds of 20 kilometres per hour are expected in the afternoon, gusting to 40 km/hour.
Those winds should shift to a westward direction Tuesday evening, increasing to 30 km/hour, gusting to 50 km/hour. The wind chill Tuesday night will hit about -10 C.
The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.