Snow, cold weather coming to the Maritimes later this week

CBC meteorologist Ryan Snoddon has the latest on snow and cold air headed for the region in late February.

Temperatures are set to tumble with snow in the forecast for most areas

Ryan Snoddon · CBC News · Posted: Feb 21, 2023 3:10 PM EST | Last Updated: February 21, 2023

Snow is on way for later this week across most of the Maritimes. (Victoria Palmeter)

While we have experienced some shots of polar and Arctic air in the Maritimes this winter, most of the cold air we've experienced has been quickly followed by a push of mild air

This time around, the cold air coming into the region is likely to stay a little longer and bring with it some chances for snow, especially for southern areas of the Maritimes.

There is good consensus that the next 7-10 days temperatures will average below seasonal to end February and begin March. — Forecasters are predicting temperatures will be below seasonal averages for the next seven to 10 days as February ends and March begins. (WeatherBELL Analytics )

First up will be back-to-back systems tracking just south of the region with one on Thursday and another on Friday.

There has already been a ton of buzz on social media about these systems and while some uncertainty remains, I can certainly put to rest the rumours of total snowfall of 50 centimetres.

System number one

The first system will spread snow into southwestern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia throughout the day on Thursday.

Forecast models are in fairly good agreement that this system will result in light snowfall for Fredericton, Saint John, the Annapolis Valley and Halifax.

Snowfall outlook for Thursday. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

Snowfall totals of five to 10 centimetres, or perhaps a bit more, are looking more likely for the Tri-County and South Shore regions of Nova Scotia.

System number two

The second system will move in quickly on the heels of the first.

Snow will begin Thursday night and continue throughout the day on Friday. This system will track a bit further north and looks set to bring a bit more snow with it as well.

The timing of this system could affect both morning and afternoon commutes.

System number two will track just south of Nova Scotia, bringing a more widespread accumulating snowfall. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

While we are still a few days away, at the moment it looks like a widespread five to 15 centimetres of snow will fall across central and western areas of Nova Scotia, as well as southwestern New Brunswick. Stay tuned for updates over the next few days.

Much of the region looks set to see accumulating snowfall Thursday night and Friday. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

As the snow clears late Friday into Saturday, more cold air will settle into the region, setting the stage for a chilly weekend and the potential for more snow across the region next week.