Southern N.B. to get drenched mid-week
Environment & Climate Change Canada issues special weather statement due to forecast of heavy rainfall, high winds expected to begin Wednesday morning, continuing into Thursday
The federal weather service is putting much of New Brunswick on alert for an unseasonably warm and wet storm coming mid-week, and the Fredericton area could be among the areas hardest hit.
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a special weather statement just before 4 p.m. Monday, advising of a rainstorm on the way for Wednesday.
“Significant rainfall and strong winds are expected,” it said, noting the winter conditions combined with so much rain could make for messy situations.
“The frozen ground has reduced ability to absorb this rainfall.”
The weather service is calling for rainfall totalling 30 to 60 millimetres in central and eastern New Brunswick, but for the southern part of the province, it’s forecast to be 70-100 mm.
The storm system is expected to hit those areas Wednesday morning and remain in effect until Thursday, it said.
Southerly wind gusts could max out at 70 to 90 kilometres per hour, the advisory stated.
“Similar storms in the past have caused traffic delays and hazardous driving conditions, and road-shoulder erosion and washouts,” the weather statement said.
“Significant snowmelt and runoff may occur. Be sure to clear storm drains and gutters of ice and other debris. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada also noted that conditions could be exacerbated by the fact that in the wake of the rainstorm, temperatures are forecast to fall below freezing quickly Thursday.
The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
This is winter weather in the maritimes. Nothing new. I have seen multiple notices online and some have said that it was Weather warnings! The very word warning incites fear. They absolutely need to inform people of the weather but they do not need to exaggerate our common winter weather.