Computer models are at this early stage surprisingly in very good agreement with the developing nor'easter later this week, which will impact New England and most of Atlantic Canada.
There is strong consensus for a rapidly intensifying storm tracking from east of Cape Cod to just south of Nova Scotia by Friday morning.
This type of storm and track would normally bring blizzard conditions to a large part of the Maritimes, extreme eastern New England and central Newfoundland during the winter, but it is still only early November, so low-level temperatures will be borderline due to the proximity of the still mild ocean water.
For most areas in the Maritimes, this storm will initially start as rain then change to a heavy, wind-blown, wet snow from northwest to southeast during the course of Friday as easterly winds gradually shift to the northeast and then north.
The storm will slowly weaken early Saturday as it tracks up toward eastern Newfoundland, so we are looking a a rain event over the Avalon Peninsula later Friday into early Saturday, but central and perhaps western parts of Newfoundland could be in for a prolonged period of snow and wind Friday night and into Saturday.
This storm is also going to be a big wind maker from Thursday night through early Saturday across the Maritimes. The strongest winds across the Maritimes will be from Friday afternoon through Friday night. In general, expect sustained winds of 40-60 km/h with gusts to 80-90 km/h from coastal New Brunswick through most of Nova Scotia and PEI. Just offshore and over some higher points, we may see gusts to 100 km/h.
I will produce a snowfall forecast map late Wednesday, as it is just a little too early to do that now, but I will list a few locations right now and what I think could happen (very preliminary)......
Saint John, NB....... The storm should be mostly snow here. Right now, I would lean towards snow beginning early Friday morning and then tapering off early Friday evening...... 7-13 cm of snow.
Fredericton, NB..... This area will be near the western and northern edge of the accumulating snow..... 5-10 cm
Moncton, NB.... Rain begins late Friday morning then changes to snow sometime in the afternoon. Snow tapers off Friday night....... 10-18 cm
Amherst, NS....... Rain changes to wet snow late Friday afternoon and continues into late Friday night..... 10-20 cm
Charlottetown, PEI... Rain to wet snow Friday evening. Snow tapering off late Friday night....... 8-15 cm
Yarmouth, NS...... Heavy rain mixing or changing to very wet snow Friday evening before ending Friday night..... tr-2 cm
Dartmouth, Halifax, NS....... Heavy rain Friday changing to heavy, very wet snow Friday evening then tapering off later Friday night....... 3-8 cm
Truro/New Glasgow, NS........ Rain changing to wet snow Friday evening then tapering off late Friday night...... 7-12 cm
Sydney, NS...... Mostly rain Friday p.m. and Friday night, but it may end as a burst of heavy, wet snow early Saturday...... nothing to 2 cm......
Somewhere between Moncton and interior, central Nova Scotia could end up with over 25 cm out of this one. Just not sure where that is right now.
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Also, a significant warm-up with strong, west to southwest winds across the Prairies Thursday and Friday.
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